President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to support police efforts to control anti-migrant protests, Ramaphosa’s office said on Tuesday.
The deployment runs from October 9 until November 30 and is expected to cost R34.1 million.
It comes before November 4 local government elections and after calls by anti-migrant groups for nationwide protests.
READ: SAPS investigates murder of foreign national in Durban CBD
South Africa has seen months of anti-migrant marches this year that have drawn international criticism. Some marches have descended into violence, and thousands of African foreign nationals have fled the country.
Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement that the deployment followed recent violence linked to misinformation about a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers.
READ: Asylum ruling splits judges as streets burn
This month anti-migrant protests in KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest city Durban and Johannesburg’s Soweto township turned violent, with vehicles torched and shops looted A foreign national was also allegedly beaten to death by a crowd in Durban last week.
The unrest followed disinformation about a July Constitutional Court ruling that asylum seekers cannot be denied access to South Africa’s asylum system solely for procedural reasons.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to assist police in controlling anti-migrant protests from October 9 to November 30.
- The deployment is expected to cost R34.1 million and coincides with the upcoming local government elections on November 4.
- The deployment responds to recent violence linked to misinformation about a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers.
- Anti-migrant protests in Durban and Johannesburg's Soweto township this month have turned violent, involving arson and looting.
- A foreign national was allegedly beaten to death by a crowd in Durban amidst the unrest.
