Anti-Migrant Protests Torch 24 Vehicles Across South Africa
Violent protests in Soweto and Durban left 24 vehicles burned and shops looted following a court ruling on asylum seeker procedural barriers.
Anti-migrant protests turned violent on Thursday in Durban and the Soweto township of Johannesburg, resulting in the torching of at least 24 vehicles and the looting of foreign-owned businesses. In Durban, protesters burned 14 vehicles, a guest house, and a warehouse, prompting police to deploy tear gas and mobilize additional officers. In Soweto, residents led by the group Soweto Uprising 2026 stormed a Somali-owned spaza shop and torched 10 vehicles near a Home Affairs office.
Puleng Dimpane, the Acting National Police Commissioner, reported that police arrested three foreign nationals in Durban suspected of attacking a protester. While some reports indicated the Soweto violence began after shots were fired toward protesters, government spokesperson William Baloyi attributed the unrest to the spread of deliberately false information regarding a July Constitutional Court ruling. The court had determined that asylum seekers cannot be denied access to the system solely for entering the country illegally or missing reporting deadlines.
Government officials clarified that the ruling allows for the assessment of claims but does not automatically grant refugee status or permanent residence. Protesters, however, demanded the deportation of undocumented foreigners and called for refugee centers to stop processing applications. Protest leader Lungile Yende defended the storming of shops, claiming the removal of stock was not looting but a move to ensure South Africans could take over the businesses.
