KwaZulu-Natal police deployed Public Order units to parts of Durban on Saturday, ahead of more expected protests. Most businesses in the city centre stayed closed.
Police doubled their numbers in the CBD and around Moses Mabhida Stadium. The protests started on Tuesday, 6 October.
According to IOL, the likely cause of the protests in Durban and in Orlando East, Soweto, is a Constitutional Court judgment on asylum seeker applications.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said 15 suspects were arrested on Friday night after violent protests in the city and nearby suburbs. He said this brings the total number of arrests to 19.
The total includes four people arrested on Thursday for attempted murder and firing a gun in public.
“The suspects will face charges of public violence and malicious property damage, with the possibility of other charges being added,” Netshiunda said. He said most of those arrested are students.
He said intelligence officers and detectives are still searching for the people who burned vehicles and buildings.
On Saturday, police stood outside the Home Affairs Durban Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road. Most protesters gathered there during the week.
Protesters then walked into the CBD to close shops that were still open. They mainly targeted shops believed to be owned by people from neighbouring African countries.
Local and foreign shop owners said they still have to pay rent at the end of each month. They said lost trade would add to their money problems.
One businessman, who asked not to be named, said several shutter gates were damaged overnight in the Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street area.
On Friday, several shops were looted in Durban. At least three houses in Umbilo, suspected to be drug dens and brothels, were set alight. No anti-immigration group took responsibility.
On Thursday, 14 vehicles were burned along Dr Pixley KaSeme Road after South Africans and suspected foreign nationals clashed.
Netshiunda said a group had been marching against gender-based violence before joining another march at the Home Affairs offices. He said one of them was allegedly assaulted by a foreign national and suffered a broken leg.
“The group became angry, and violence erupted, resulting in the burning of at least 14 vehicles,” he said. Police arrested three foreign nationals for the assault.
Netshiunda rejected claims that police simply walk with marchers and let crime happen. He said officers must protect lives and property while allowing people their right to march.
He said police use stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets when things get out of hand. More officers are being moved to Durban from other parts of the province, he said.
On Friday, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli walked along Dr Pixley KaSeme Street. They saw the burnt vehicles and damaged shop fronts.
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs welcomed the withdrawal of the department’s directives that followed the court judgment. It plans an urgent in-person meeting with the Ministers of Home Affairs and Employment and Labour.
“It is time that the Cabinet demonstrate urgency and speed up the draft bill,” committee chairperson Mosa Chabane said.
Police said safety plans were in place for the MTN 8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.