Car Set Alight Outside Constitutional Court As Protesters Demand Answers Over Asylum Seeker Ruling

• Tensions boiled near the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg on 9 October 2026 as protesters arrived to deliver a memorandum
• The marchers demanded answers from the court over the recent ruling about asylum seekers in the country
• Protesters demanded a response to their memorandum within 7 days, with police reinforcements deployed to manage the crowd

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG — A car was set alight, and rubber bullets were fired at protesters near the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg on 9 October 2026.

Protesters arrived at the court to deliver a formal memorandum of demands following the recent ruling regarding asylum seekers. The Constitutional Court's ruling invalidated procedural barriers in the Refugees Act. The judgment allowed asylum claims to be assessed on their merits regardless of irregular entry or missed deadlines, placing significant pressure on the Department of Home Affairs.

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While the marchers acknowledged Home Affairs' withdrawal of its 28 September implementation directive, they maintained this did not nullify the court's judgment. The memorandum was formally handed over to the Constitutional Court, with protesters demanding a written response within seven days.

Vehicle set alight near court

Police reinforcements, including a SAPS nyala, were deployed as the crowd made its way to the court premises.

Firefighters later arrived to extinguish the blaze after a vehicle was set alight. It remains unclear who set the vehicle alight, as the protesters had already reached the steps of the Constitutional Court by the time the fire broke out.

The recent tension followed violent scenes in Soweto and Durban on 8 October 2026, where separate protests erupted over the Home Affairs directive and the court ruling. Vehicles were torched, and some properties were also set alight.

How did South Africans respond?

The footage of the burning vehicle and the police response drew sharp reactions on social media.

@mashao_bradley wrote:

"We really need to lodge a formal complaint with the JSC as citizens. The ConCourt was reckless in this ruling; how can a group of intellectuals make such a blunder without assessing the consequences of their decision? Gross incompetence."

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@SabeloGebenga urged caution, saying:

"Law enforcement must be on the lookout for a third force. Every genuine public concern has the potential to be infiltrated by people who have their own agenda."

@SekesM was more pointed:

"Violent scenes near the Constitutional Court are tantamount to domestic treason. Seriously, leaders of the movement must account."

@GoosCharly warned:

"Government needs to get ahead of this. They're falling way too far behind."

@Dolukhulu added simply:

"It's going to be a long weekend."

Phakel’umthakathi calls for calm in Durban

Nkosikhona Phakel’umthakathi Ndabandaba called for calm amid the escalating violence in the Durban Central Business District

Briefly News reported that shops were looted, vehicles torched, and several people were arrested during the unrest.

Speaking from the scene of the chaos, Ndabandaba warned leaders against inciting community members to commit acts of destruction.

Source: Briefly News