Vehicles torched as anti-immigration protests turn violent in South Africa
Hundreds of anti-immigration protesters marched through Durban, South Africa, on Thursday as violence erupted in the city centre, leaving 14 vehicles torched and foreign-owned businesses targeted.
Footage showed burning vehicles and thick smoke rising above the streets as demonstrators gathered and marched through the area.
Police said the unrest escalated after a South African demonstrator was assaulted and suffered a broken leg. Three foreign nationals suspected of involvement in the attack were arrested.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda confirmed the arrests as officers were deployed to prevent further violence and property damage.
SA First Forum CEO Xolani Zuma called for tighter border controls and South Africa's withdrawal from the 1951 Refugee Convention, blaming undocumented immigration for worsening economic and social pressures.
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“We don't have resources,” Zuma said, citing unemployment, housing shortages and limited access to water and education.
The unrest followed tensions over a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers' rights and deportation procedures. Anti-immigration groups argue the ruling complicates deportations, while the government maintains it does not automatically grant legal status to undocumented migrants.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
