South African authorities deployed police officers and military personnel to Durban and Soweto on Friday following a surge in violence targeting foreign nationals. The material damage has been extensive, with at least 24 vehicles set on fire and numerous businesses owned by foreign nationals attacked.
The security reinforcement comes a day after clashes between South African protesters and foreign nationals amid growing tensions over the country’s asylum policy. In Durban’s central business district, more than 100 people carrying sticks marched on Friday under close police supervision.
Riot-control units, Durban municipal police and other security services were deployed across the city centre. Several shops owned by foreign nationals remained closed. Signs of the violence were still visible, with 14 burned-out vehicles scattered across the streets on Friday.
A hotel and a warehouse were also partially damaged by fire. Firefighters returned to the scene to extinguish a blaze that had reignited in a shop reportedly targeted by protesters.
In Soweto, police vehicles and members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were stationed near the Department of Home Affairs office in Orlando East. Hundreds of people waited in line outside the building while security personnel monitored the situation.
According to the police, nine vehicles were burned near the office on Thursday. Reports of gunfire during clashes between residents and foreign shopkeepers are under investigation. Several shops belonging to foreign nationals were also looted.
Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane strongly condemned the violence, warning that those responsible would face justice. “We will not allow violence, the burning of vehicles, the destruction of property or attacks on people to continue,” she stated. She added that investigators were searching for those responsible for the assaults and property damage.
These incidents come amid growing protests by groups opposed to immigration. The demonstrations target the Home Affairs Department’s implementation of a Constitutional Court ruling issued in July. The judges ordered the government to remove administrative barriers preventing certain migrants and undocumented foreign nationals from applying for asylum. The ruling therefore broadens access to the asylum application process, regardless of the circumstances of entry into the country.
The decision has reignited long-standing tensions surrounding immigration in South Africa. The country hosts one of the continent’s largest migrant communities and has experienced several waves of xenophobic violence over the past two decades.
In both Durban and Soweto, protesters accuse the authorities of failing to curb irregular immigration, directing particular criticism at Home Affairs offices responsible for processing asylum applications.
