Ramaphosa deploys 510 SANDF soldiers to KZN amid deadly anti-immigration unrest

The soldiers will support the police under Operation Prosper, an ongoing joint security operation aimed at maintaining law and order. The deployment is authorised until November 30 and is expected to cost R34 million.

Soldiers placed on standby in KwaZulu-Natal

Ramaphosa notified Parliament of the decision in a letter dated October 21. The letter said the SANDF members would remain “on standby for any eventualities” as authorities respond to continuing tensions linked to the protests.

SANDF members have reportedly already been seen in parts of Durban. Their role is to assist the police, rather than replace the state’s responsibility for immigration enforcement or ordinary policing.

Military deployments in support of law enforcement are generally intended to strengthen the capacity of police during periods of serious unrest. In this case, the deployment follows violence involving public disorder, damage to property and attacks linked to anger over immigration.

Violence escalated during protests in Durban

The decision followed renewed unrest in Durban in early October. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli had requested military assistance as the protests intensified.

During the initial violence, 14 vehicles were set alight, foreign-owned shops were looted and police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds. The incidents raised concerns about the safety of foreign nationals, businesses and other members of the public caught up in the unrest.

Tensions continued later in the month. On October 22, a Ugandan national was beaten to death during a protest march in central Durban. The death intensified concerns over attacks against foreign nationals during the demonstrations.

Police arrested five men, aged between 19 and 46, in connection with the murder and the attempted murder of foreign nationals.

Arrests made in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng

Authorities had also arrested 30 people nationwide by October 11 for offences including public violence, unlawful gathering and obstruction, as well as related offences.

Of those arrests, 25 were made in KwaZulu-Natal and five in Gauteng, where similar protests took place in Soweto. The arrests reflect the broader public-order response as authorities attempt to prevent further violence and damage.

Public protests can raise legitimate concerns, but violence, looting and attacks on individuals or property are criminal acts. The security response is therefore focused on containing disorder while law-enforcement agencies pursue those suspected of offences.

Government disputes claims about asylum ruling

Ramaphosa attributed the unrest to misinformation surrounding a Constitutional Court judgment on asylum applications.

The ruling was misrepresented as giving undocumented migrants sweeping legal protections, a claim that helped fuel tensions around immigration. Government officials have since clarified that the judgment restored access to an asylum determination process for certain applicants.

That clarification is important because access to a process is not the same as being granted refugee status or permanent residence. The judgment did not automatically provide either status, nor did it create a blanket amnesty for undocumented migrants.

Authorities have made the distinction central to their response. Correcting inaccurate claims is being pursued alongside the security operation, as officials seek to reduce tensions while dealing with criminal conduct linked to the protests.

Authorities warn against vigilantism

Authorities have stressed that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state. Public frustration over immigration cannot justify vigilantism, arson, looting or attacks on people and property.

That warning comes as the SANDF deployment places additional security personnel on standby in KwaZulu-Natal through November 30. The stated purpose is to support police in maintaining order during a period of heightened tension.

The situation also highlights the risks created when legal judgments are misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented. Claims about asylum and immigration can have immediate consequences when they are used to mobilise crowds or direct anger towards foreign nationals.

For communities affected by the unrest, the immediate concerns remain safety, access to businesses and the protection of property. The deployment is intended to help prevent further disorder while investigations and arrests continue.

With the operation in place, authorities face the dual task of restoring calm and explaining what the Constitutional Court judgment actually means. The government’s position is that immigration matters must be handled through lawful state processes, not through violence or attacks carried out by members of the public.