South Africa Anti-Immigration Riots Spread to Two Provinces: Constitutional Court Asylum Ruling Triggers Violence, At Least 24 Vehicles Burned

According to African News Network, citing Acting National Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Puleng Dimpane, anti-immigration protests in two South African cities escalated into violence on October 8, with at least 24 vehicles burned and shops looted. Dimpane said 10 vehicles were burned in Soweto township, Johannesburg, and 14 vehicles were burned in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, with three people arrested by police in Durban.

The violence in Soweto occurred near the Department of Home Affairs office in Orlando West, where the charred remains of several vehicles were left on the streets, according to metropolitan police spokesperson Xolani Fihla. Police said no casualties had been reported. Police are still verifying whether additional vehicles were burned, African News Network reported.

The protests directly targeted a recent Constitutional Court ruling that struck down several barriers in the asylum-seeking process, making it easier for foreign migrants to access the asylum application channel. African News Network noted that the protests extended months of anti-immigration tensions in South Africa, with demonstrators demanding the deportation of foreigners illegally residing in the country.

Dimpane struck a stern tone in her remarks: "We will absolutely not allow the violence, vehicle-burning, property destruction, or attacks on others seen today to continue." She added that those behind the scenes would be "tracked down and arrested."

Police have not formally identified the organizers behind the violence, but the protesters' demands indicate that the Constitutional Court's judicial ruling safeguarding refugees' procedural rights is in direct collision with xenophobic sentiment on the streets.