Anti-migrant protests turn violent in Durban and Soweto

Anti-migrant protests turned violent in Durban and Soweto on October 8, with vehicles set alight and shops looted as police responded to clashes. The unrest followed demonstrations against asylum processing and also occurred in other parts of South Africa, according to reports from the day. In central Durban, a reporter observed five cars burning and foreign-owned shops being looted. Police said at least 14 vehicles had been set alight in the city. Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane separately reported 14 vehicles burned in Durban and 10 in Soweto. Those totals were official figures, while the direct observation in Durban documented fires in the city centre. The demonstrations included a protest outside Durban’s Refugee Reception Centre, where people seeking asylum had queued to apply. Protesters called for the centre to stop processing applications, and police used stun grenades earlier in the day to separate groups, according to local reporting. Businesses in parts of Durban closed as protests moved through the city. In Soweto, residents clashed with foreign shop owners.