Vehicles torched and shops looted during anti-immigration protests in South Africa

Police say 14 vehicles were set alight in Durban and 10 in Soweto on Thursday, 8 October, as anti-immigration protests turned violent in South Africa. Foreign-owned shops were looted, BBC News reports. The BBC report does not identify who set the vehicles alight or looted the shops. [1]

In Durban, protesters gathered outside a government refugee reception centre and demanded that it stop accepting asylum applications. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds, while city-centre businesses closed. The violence followed an allegation that a foreign national had assaulted a protester. Police said three foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the alleged assault. [1]

In Orlando West, Soweto, residents had initially called for the closure of small convenience stores known as spaza shops run by foreign nationals. Gunshots were reported during confrontations between South African residents and foreign shopkeepers. Senior local police officer Xolani Fihla told the SABC that no injuries had been reported at the time he spoke. Police said they had deployed reinforcements to prevent further violence. [1]

The unrest comes after a July Constitutional Court ruling that, according to BBC News, removed restrictions on some asylum applications based on how applicants entered South Africa or whether they missed immigration deadlines. Government spokesman William Baloyi said the ruling does not automatically grant refugee status or a permanent right to remain. Officials said applications would still be assessed individually and subject to immigration checks. [1]