Violent anti-migrant protests have broken out in two major South African cities, with authorities attributing the unrest to the spread of disinformation regarding a recent Constitutional Court decision on asylum seekers.
Incidents of violence occurred on Thursday in the Soweto township of Johannesburg and the port city of Durban. Police reported that dozens of vehicles were set ablaze, and businesses owned by foreigners were forced to shut their doors amid the chaos.
The disturbances were sparked by demonstrations demanding that refugee centers halt the processing of asylum applications. Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane stated that 10 vehicles were torched in Johannesburg, while 14 were burned in Durban, where three individuals were arrested.
Witnesses reported tense scenes in Soweto, where residents were seen looting groceries from a shop they claimed was Somali-owned before fleeing when police arrived. In Durban, reporters observed cars burning in the urban center and foreign-owned shops being looted. AFP journalists noted that police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters who had set fire to a business run by foreigners.
The anger stems from a July ruling by the Constitutional Court that removed procedural obstacles for individuals seeking asylum, including those who entered the country irregularly, lacked transit visas, or missed reporting deadlines. However, government officials argue that the public perception of the ruling has been distorted.
During an urgent briefing on Thursday, the government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration addressed the overwhelming number of applications at asylum offices. Government spokesperson William Baloyi condemned the violence, stating it was driven by deliberately false information. He clarified that the court decision does not automatically grant refugee status, permanent residence, or other legal rights to undocumented migrants.
“We are deeply concerned by what is going on now,” Baloyi said. This marks the latest in a series of months-long protests by populist anti-immigrant groups demanding the departure of undocumented foreigners, which has already forced tens of thousands to flee, some via government-organized repatriations.
Thirty years after the end of apartheid, South Africa continues to grapple with significant inequality and an unemployment rate of approximately one-third. Migrants frequently become scapegoats for job losses, crime, and strained public services, although evidence does not support these allegations.
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