Zimbabwean Labour Minister Paurina Mpariwa is expected to visit displaced Zimbabwean workers at De Doorns in the Boland today. Thousands of workers were chased out of their shacks by locals at the Stofland informal settlement late last year.

The foreigners were driven out by locals who accused them of stealing their jobs by accepting lower wages.

Mpariwa will also meet South Africa's Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana in Cape Town. Mdladlana will brief Mpariwa on measures put in place by Government to protect the Zimbabweans.

Mdladlana kicked-off a week long imbizo in Worcester, Robertson and Swellendam in the Boland in January this year, following a report presented to him in which questionable labour practices were cited as one of the reasons that led to tensions at De Doorns, displacing nearly 2 000, mainly Zimbabwean nationals.

Mdladlana said the tensions at De Doorns were caused by labour brokering among others.

Police have since arrested 22 people in connection with the displacement of the foreign nationals from the informal settlement. Station Commander at De Doorns, Desmond van der Westhuizen, said 18 people were arrested in connection with public violence while four others are being held on charges of theft.