Lusaka: The Ministry of Employment and Labour has welcomed the election of South Africa as the chair of the African Regional Labour Administration Centre (ARLAC) Governing Council for the 2025-2027 term of office. The Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, will serve as the chair following the election of South Africa at the 51st Governing Council meeting held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 10 – 14 February 2025.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Minister was represented at the summit by Deputy Minister Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala, who successfully led the South African delegation. The ARLAC is a regional institution with a mandate to strengthen labour administration systems in Africa through training, research, and consultancy advisory services. It was established in 1974 by the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
South Africa will also serve alongside four vice-chairs: Sierra Leone, Malawi, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, South Africa serves in the Committee of Senior Officials, together with officials from Zimbabwe, Sudan, Zambia, and Sierra Leone. This Committee is tasked with overseeing governance, policy implementation, and programming, meeting four times a year to report to the Governing Council.
Vice-President Mutale Nalumango of the Republic of Zambia was the guest speaker during the meeting, emphasising the importance of fair employment and tackling informal employment. The meeting also focused on the importance of formalising informal work and establishing a legislative and policy framework to ensure decent work on the African continent.
The Department of Employment and Labour expressed pride as Minister Nomakhosazana Meth assumes the chair of the ARLAC Governing Council. Minister Meth thanked Deputy Minister Nemadzinga-Tshabalala for her work at the recent ARLAC Governing Council meeting. The next Governing Council meeting is scheduled on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2025.