Tourism sector job segregation decried

by ABDALLAH MSUYA

BACKBENCHERS in the House of Representatives are still unsatisfied with job allocation to Zanzibaris, saying people from outside Zanzibar dominated employment opportunities.

Mr Omar Seif Abeid (Konde) and Mr Simai Mohamed Said raised their concerns, saying many young people in the Isles, including graduates from the Tourism College, were not employed by tourist hotels without clear reasons.
“We have been complaining about offering jobs to people from outside Zanzibar in the tourism sector. Even jobs that can be managed by ordinary citizens, are held by foreigners.
This is unacceptable; tourism industry should benefit citizens fast,” Mr Abeid remarked.. It is alleged that hotel proprietors preferred Tanzania mainlanders, as well as people from Kenya, South Africa, India and Europe because they were hardworking and adhered to punctuality.
In response, the Deputy Minister for Labour, Economic Empowerment, Elders, Youth, Children and Women, Ms Shadya Mohamed Suleiman, said there had been improvements in job allocation in the sector. “Ongoing reforms are yielding results.
We have told hotel owners to give priority to Zanzibaris before recruiting employees from outside the Islands,” the deputy minister said, adding that at least 600 Zanzibaris had been employed during the 2017/2018 fiscal year.