Mkhwanazi Takes Command as SANDF Deploys After Soweto and Durban Protests Torch 24 Vehicles
- Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi took charge of coordinating nationwide police operations after violent protests erupted in two major metros
- SANDF troops were deployed to Orlando West in Soweto as Public Order Police reinforcements were sent to both Soweto and Durban
- Acting National Commissioner Puleng Dimpane warned that police restraint should not be mistaken for weakness as authorities vowed to prosecute all offenders
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SOUTH AFRICA —An intelligence-led security operation is underway across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal after violent demonstrations in Durban and Soweto led to the destruction of 24 vehicles on 8 October.
According to The South African, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was tasked with directing strategy among provincial commanders to stabilize impacted areas. South African National Defence Force personnel have been deployed to assist law enforcement in Orlando West, where crowds targeted foreign-run retail shops along Khumalo Street.
The unrest stems from widespread misinterpretation of a Constitutional Court decision regarding asylum application procedures. While the ruling eliminates specific administrative hurdles for individuals filing applications, it does not confer legal residence or refugee status. Protesters assembled outside Durban’s Refugee Reception Centre and in central business zones, demanding a total halt to Home Affairs asylum registrations.
Cars burned in protests
Fourteen vehicles were torched in Durban, leading to the detention of three foreign nationals. In Soweto, ten cars were burned, and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department representative Xolani Fihla noted that investigators are examining reports of live rounds fired toward crowds.
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Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane directed crime intelligence divisions to track perpetrators and identify potential escalation points. Public Order Police reinforcements remain stationed in strategic corridors, with Dimpane warning that police composure should not be interpreted as weakness, emphasizing that all violators will face criminal prosecution irrespective of citizenship.
Durban tyre shop burned down
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the protest that forced Durban’s Refugee Reception Centre to close after a neighbouring scrapyard was set alight. Demonstrators raised concerns about service delivery and immigration processing, while police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds.
The unrest is part of wider demonstrations targeting foreign-owned businesses and immigration facilities across South Africa. The centre has not said when it will reopen.
Source: Briefly News
