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Vehicles torched in South Africa as protests over asylum ruling rage on
On Thursday, anti-migrant protests in Durban and Soweto turned violent, with at least 14 vehicles torched in Durban and nine in Soweto, while foreign-owned businesses were looted in both cities.
Tensions escalated following a July Constitutional Court ruling that required the Government to restart asylum processing, ending a six-year closure and drawing hundreds to refugee centers.
Superintendent Xolani Fihla of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department reported clashes between foreign nationals and South Africans, stating, "It's reported that there were clashes between foreign nationals in the area and South African nationals."
March and March representative Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma defended the demonstrations, saying, "We are here picketing because that's our right to express our dissatisfaction in our country." Police remained deployed to monitor the situation.
South Africa has experienced months of anti-migrant marches this year amid deep unemployment and inequality. Social scientists say claims that migrants fuel crime are "not supported by evidence.