Unrest has broken out in Soweto and Durban, with a total of 23 vehicles torched amid clashes between South Africans and foreign nationals. In Soweto, nine cars were set alight in the vicinity of the Department of Home Affairs, following allegations that gunshots were fired against South African protesters. The situation remains tense, with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) investigating the incident.
The clashes in Soweto were sparked by reports that foreign nationals had attacked protesting residents. In response, angry Orlando West residents allegedly set fire to several vehicles belonging to foreign nationals. The Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, is expected to visit Soweto to assess the current security situation and provide an update on police deployments.
In Durban, police reported that 14 vehicles were torched during a protest at the Durban CBD. The protest, which was initially peaceful, turned violent after a group marching against Gender-Based Violence was allegedly assaulted by a foreign national, resulting in one person being injured. The group became angry, and violence erupted, resulting in the burning of vehicles, a lodge building, and a warehouse.
The police have made several arrests in connection with the violence. In Durban, three foreign nationals were arrested for the assault that sparked the violence. The police are working to restore order and protect communities. The Public Order Police officers and officers from other police units, supported by Durban Metro Police and other role players in the law enforcement sector, are monitoring the situation.
The unrest is part of a broader issue of immigration and asylum seeker policies in South Africa. An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration outlined a series of measures to strengthen South Africa’s asylum system and broader migration management following a Constitutional Court judgment that expanded access to the asylum determination process.
Activist Nkosinathi Ndabandaba called for calm in the Durban CBD, urging the crowd not to break the law despite their frustrations. However, his message came too late, as shops had already been looted and foreign nationals attacked. Mobs of men walked around the side streets, damaging shops and setting alight a building on Joseph Nduli Street.
The government has clarified that proposed amendments to the Employment Services Act will not create new employment rights for refugees or asylum seekers. The Free State police have also arrested 24 undocumented foreign nationals from Malawi and Lesotho during a joint crime prevention operation in Reitz. The SAPS is working to address the root causes of the unrest and restore order in the affected areas.
Key points
- The unrest in Soweto and Durban resulted in a total of 23 vehicles being torched.
- The clashes were sparked by allegations of attacks on South African protesters by foreign nationals.
- The government has outlined measures to strengthen South Africa’s asylum system and broader migration management.
