Ramaphosa Deploys 510 Soldiers to Quell Anti-Immigration Violence

President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed 510 members of the South African National Defence Force to KwaZulu-Natal to support the South African Police Service in maintaining law and order. The deployment, which began October 9 and is scheduled to run through November 30, 2026, is estimated to cost approximately R34.1 million. The military intervention, conducted under Operation Prosper, occurs ahead of local government elections on November 4.

The unrest was triggered by a misinformation campaign regarding a July Constitutional Court ruling in Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town v Minister of Home Affairs. While the court ruled that asylum seekers cannot be denied access to the system solely on procedural grounds, false claims circulated that the decision granted blanket amnesty, citizenship, and voting rights to all undocumented immigrants.

Violence erupted in Durban and Soweto, where mobs looted foreign-owned shops and torched vehicles. In Durban, a foreign national was beaten to death by a mob. Authorities have since arrested 30 suspects across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in connection with the public violence. The South African Human Rights Commission condemned the attacks, stating that disagreements over immigration and public services cannot justify violence.