Photo credit: DW
Anti-migrant protests in two South African cities, Durban and Soweto, turned violent on Thursday, with the government blaming disinformation over a court ruling on asylum seekers.
Reuters reports that five cars were burnt in Durban. Foreign-owned shops were also looted.
The unrest followed a protest by a group demanding that a refugee centre stop processing asylum applications.
In Soweto, a Reuters reporter saw residents carrying groceries out of a shop that they said was owned by a person from Somalia, whom they chased away. The looters fled after police arrived and made them disperse.
Government spokesperson William Baloyi said people spread deliberate fake information about a constitutional court ruling in July, which triggered the violence.
The country’s highest court ruled that asylum seekers cannot be denied access to South Africa’s asylum system solely for procedural reasons such as having entered the country illegally.
He said the ruling had been widely misinterpreted and did not automatically grant refugee status, permanent residence or other legal rights to undocumented migrants. “We are deeply concerned by what is going on now,” he added.
Police said in a statement that they had mobilized more officers in Durban, where they said at least 14 vehicles had been set alight while a guest house and warehouse were partially burned.
South Africa has seen months of anti-migrant marches this year that have drawn international criticism.
Migrants are often blamed for taking jobs, fuelling crime and straining public services, claims that social scientists say are not supported by evidence.
