DURBAN, South Africa — A fresh wave of anti-migrant violence swept through Durban on Thursday, 8 October 2026, as protesters armed with sticks, sjamboks and other weapons confronted foreign nationals near the city’s Refugee Reception Centre before the unrest spilled into the central business district.
Protesters, including members of anti-illegal immigration groups such as March and March, gathered outside the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road in Berea.
Tensions had been building for days after a Constitutional Court ruling and a subsequent Home Affairs directive required refugee offices to process asylum applications in person, ending a six-year effective closure to new applicants.
Long queues of foreign nationals, many from Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, had formed outside the facility.
According to police and eyewitness reports, the situation escalated when a South African protester was allegedly assaulted by a foreign national, suffering a broken leg. The group grew angry and violence erupted. Protesters then moved into the CBD, where at least 14 vehicles were torched or damaged along streets including Dr Pixley KaSeme.
Foreign-owned shops were looted or vandalised, windows were smashed, and a scrapyard reportedly owned by an immigrant was set alight. A municipal building and a warehouse were also partially burnt.
Reports indicated that some members of the crowds attacked foreign nationals in the streets, with incidents of assault and attempts at lynching amid the chaos. One person was reportedly shot near Dr Pixley KaSeme Street and taken to hospital; at least two others were assaulted and injured. Three foreign nationals were arrested in connection with the alleged assault that sparked the violence.
Police struggled to contain the unrest, deploying public-order units that used rubber bullets, tear gas, stun grenades and pepper spray to disperse crowds. Businesses in the city centre shut their doors as residents and traders took cover. Similar anti-migrant violence broke out the same day in Soweto, Johannesburg, where 10 vehicles were torched and foreign-owned shops were looted, bringing the national total of burnt vehicles to at least 24.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the Durban figures and said additional officers had been deployed. Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane warned that those responsible for burning vehicles, looting and destroying property would be identified and arrested. “We will not tolerate lawlessness,” she said.
On Friday, the Department of Home Affairs withdrew the asylum-processing directive, citing “serious consequences” including overwhelmed offices, threats to staff safety and public-order concerns. The Constitutional Court ruling itself remains binding, and the department said it would embark on a fresh process. The Durban Refugee Reception Centre suspended operations amid the unrest.
The violence marks a sharp escalation in months of anti-migrant tension in Durban, where groups have repeatedly targeted asylum seekers and displaced communities around the Refugee Reception Centre. Civil-society organisations have documented earlier intimidation and assaults, while authorities continue to urge calm and call for reports of criminal activity.
Police maintained a heavy presence in the CBD on Friday as calm gradually returned, though burnt-out vehicle shells lined some streets and opportunistic scavengers stripped parts from the wrecks. Further marches were expected, with officers planning early deployments to prevent renewed violence.
About the Author
