Anti-migrant protests in Soweto and Durban leave at least 24 vehicles torched and shops looted
Anti-migrant protests turned violent in Soweto, outside Johannesburg, and Durban on Thursday, with at least 24 vehicles set alight and foreign-owned shops looted, according to police. The unrest followed a July Constitutional Court ruling that allows asylum seekers who entered the country irregularly to apply, which the government says overwhelmed refugee offices. Home Affairs said it would change how it complies with the ruling, and later withdrew the directive, though it said the court judgment itself still stands.
Bottom line — Home Affairs must now build a workable asylum process that complies with the court while easing pressure on reception centres.
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Police in Durban said 14 vehicles were torched and three foreign nationals were arrested over an alleged assault that preceded the clashes, while Soweto police counted 10 vehicles burned.
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Government spokesman William Baloyi told Reuters that people had deliberately spread false claims that the ruling grants undocumented migrants automatic legal status, a claim the government rejects.
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Briefly reported that the US Consulate General in Durban issued a security alert on 7 October 2026 and told personnel to avoid the area, while some social media users disputed that looting occurred that day.
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Minister Leon Schreiber told Newzroom Afrika that the consequences of the court order could not have been foreseen, and Home Affairs said the directive was issued by the director-general without political knowledge.
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Sowetan quoted Soweto resident Tshepo Mposula saying foreign nationals fired shots that angered protesters, while metro police spokesperson Xolani Fihla did not identify who fired or who owned the vehicles.
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Minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni raised the possibility of debating constitutional amendments through the national dialogue if South Africans believed the constitution did not protect their interests.
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Reuters noted South Africa's unemployment affects about a third of people, and that researchers say claims that migrants take jobs or fuel crime are not supported by evidence.