The International Organization for Migration on Wednesday repatriated 33 Zimbabweans who had been living at the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg.
The operation was coordinated by the Southern African Women for Immigration Affairs, which had hoped that most of those repatriated would be teachers. The group has launched a project to encourage professionals such as teachers to return to Zimbabwe
Humanitarian Officer Tobias Chatindo of SAWIMA told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that many teachers slated for repatriation refused the transportation at the last minute when they learned there was to be no resettlement assistance.
Elsewhere, South African authorities have said a second batch of the Zimbabwean refugees camped outside the Methodist Church will be relocated in mid June.
However as Studio 7 correspondent Benedict Nhlapho reports, the refugees and some South Africans are not convinced that the government will keep its promises.
