JOHANNESBURG At least 130 more Zimbabweans have registered for repatriation as part of the second group, which is expected to leave South Africa this weekend, according to the Southern African Women for Immigration Affairs (SAWIMA).The Johannesburg-based humanitarian organisation is co-ordinating the repatriation, which is being sponsored by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
We received more people from the Central Methodist Church community since the last group left and the numbers are growing everyday, said David Dube, SAWIMAs Para-legal officer. “We have now registered 134, who are enough for two buses that the IOM has promised us. We expect them to leave on Friday or during the weekend.”
However, with people approaching SAWIMA daily, many refugees could be left behind, as the IOM is said to have promised only two more buses.
These people really want to go home, so we will have to look for alternative sponsors if the IOM cannot provide more buses, said Dube.
He said that the most desperate refugees to return home were nursing mothers and minors, who are suffering the effects of the cold Johannesburg weather.
The IOM has already repatriated 33 Zimbabweans, most of them teachers and nurses, who left for Zimbabwe three weeks ago.
Post published in: News