UP to 15 000 Zimbabweans working on farms in South Africa will be deported on Monday by immigration officials, supported by the defence force and police, a home affairs official said on Wednesday. The majority working on farms on the border with Zimbabwe are here illegally, and those with permits, particularly for unskilled jobs, will not have them renewed,” said home affairs spokesman Leslie Mashokwe. He said the Home Affairs Department had signed an agreement with farmers last year to repatriate between 10 000 and 15 000 Zimbabweans working on their farms in the Messina-Soutpansberg area. “On Monday we will go with immigration officials from home affairs to inspect farms, backed up by the defence force and (police) to ensure the spirit and letter of the agreement are enforced.” The department said the Zimbabweans should be removed to “make way for locals who remain in search of employment opportunities”. – AFP