Expulsion of Zimbabwean workers temporarily halted

A South African court on Monday ordered the government to temporarily halt the expulsion of Zimbabwean workers from farms in the country's Northern Province which borders Zimbabwe. A spokesman for the Agricultural Union of South Africa (Agri-SA) told IRIN on Tuesday that three farmers' associations won a court interdict against the expulsion of an estimated 5,500 workers. "The judge ordered the department of home affairs and the farmers to meet and try and find some kind of amicable solution to the problem," Kobus Kleinhans said.

A spokesman for the department of home affairs was quoted as saying that some 10,000 Zimbabweans still had to leave the country by midnight Monday, or face arrest and deportation. "Under the order of the court, it was agreed ... that there were other avenues that could be explored on this matter. We will not expel Zimbabweans from that area yet," Lesley Mashokwe said.

The majority of the Zimbabwean workers are seasonal and cross into South Africa between April and October at the height of the harvesting of tomato and fruit crops. In terms of an agreement reached between the farmers and the department a year ago, the work permits of Zimbabweans employed on the farms would expire on Monday and would not be renewed.

"As farmers we accept that we have to employ South African workers especially in light of the growing unemployment problem, but we can't simply expel all these Zimbabwean workers. Some of them have been coming across for many years to work during the harvest," Kleinhans said.