South Africa Deploys 510 Soldiers To KwaZulu-Natal After Anti-Immigrant Violence

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal province following anti-immigrant violence in Durban triggered by protests over a court ruling on asylum seekers.

The deployment, announced by the presidency on Tuesday, is part of Operation Prosper, a joint police-military operation aimed at tackling gang violence and illegal mining. The soldiers will support police operations in the province until the end of November, ahead of South Africa’s November 4 local government elections.

The deployment is expected to cost approximately 34 million rand (around $2 million). The presidency said the decision followed “recent violent actions arising from a campaign of misinformation” about a Constitutional Court ruling that removed procedural barriers for people seeking asylum in South Africa.

The ruling sparked protests in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on October 8, amid months of growing anti-immigrant tensions. Demonstrators have demanded the deportation of foreign nationals living in South Africa illegally.

Durban, the country’s third-most-populated city, has emerged as a hotspot for anti-immigrant unrest this year. According to state broadcaster SABC, riot police were deployed to the city centre after clashes, during which shops owned by foreign nationals were looted. The presidency said the military deployment began the day after the clashes.

In a separate incident last week, a foreign national was beaten to death by a group of around 50 people during a march in Durban’s city centre, police said.

The latest deployment expands an existing military intervention to tackle crime and illegal mining. South Africa has previously deployed soldiers to support police against gang violence in 2019 and illegal mining in 2023.

In March this year, soldiers were sent to assist police in combating gang violence and illegal mining, with major operations beginning on March 11 in Johannesburg’s Riverlea and Westbury neighbourhoods.

That broader Operation Prosper deployment was authorised to continue until March 31, 2027, across five provinces: Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State and North West.

The latest move comes as South Africa prepares for local elections against a backdrop of heightened tensions over immigration, asylum policy and public security. Under the current arrangement, soldiers will stand by to support police as authorities respond to violence in KwaZulu-Natal.