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Trust Freddy Herald Correspondent

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, July Moyo last week joined his regional counterparts at a SADC Ministerial meeting held in Lubango, Angola to discuss pressing labour market issues.

The meeting, which ended on 28 March, focused on the need to improve job creation and skills development, including addressing challenges such as low labour force participation, high unemployment and working poverty.

One of the key priorities identified was the need to reform and improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems, to better prepare people for the modern economy. In his remarks, Minister Moyo echoed President Mnangagwa’s vision for a more skilled workforce, emphasizing the need for training programmes that align with the needs of the labour market.

“Ministers critically analysed the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) intricacies in SADC member States with a focus directed at rethinking TVET governance and financing systems, skills for jobs: TVET responsibilities to the labour market, articulation of TVET qualification, equipping TVET to deliver skills for just transition and the future of work,” reads the SADC Ministers of Labour and Social Partners report, released by the Ministry of Public Services.

“Minister Moyo reiterated the President’s view that, skills should complement labour through training where he said skills should speak to labour, hence the creation of the new Ministry of Skills Audit back home responsible for mainstreaming skill gaps in the labour market.”

Minister Moyo also expressed Zimbabwe’s commitment to signing and ratification of the SADC protocols on employment and labour applicable in the region.

The meeting also sought to advance the implementation of the SADC Labour Migration Action Plan (LMAP 2020-2025), which focuses on strengthening labour migration policies and regulatory systems, protecting migrant workers’ rights, and raising awareness of their contributions to development and regional integration.

In addition, the LMAP aims to ensure that migrant workers are able to participate in socioeconomic development processes in both their countries of origin and destination.

According to the report, discussions centred around the democratisation of the International Labour Organisation .

“This has been advocated since 1986, however the debate has been characterised by lack of political will by those from the North who are industrialised.

“At regional level Malawi will assume the Chairmanship deputised by South Africa and Mozambique, where Zimbabwe and Botswana volunteered to be in the working party that will develop the position paper for the region to be presented during the International Labour Conference to be held in Geneva around June this year.”

Minister Moyo also gave a report on Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the upcoming SADC summit, outlining the preparations and measures being taken to ensure a successful event.