Cars torched and shops looted in Durban and Soweto
Anti-immigration protests in South Africa have turned violent, resulting in torched vehicles and looted shops in Durban and Soweto. The unrest was triggered by a court ruling regarding asylum applications, leading to clashes between local residents and foreign nationals.
Why it matters
This violence underscores ongoing social tensions regarding migration and the challenges of managing asylum policies in South Africa.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Wycliffe Muia AFP via Getty Images Police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds as businesses remained shut At least 24 vehicles have been set ablaze and foreign-owned shops looted in South Africa as anti-immigration protests descended into violence in two major cities, police say.
Unrest broke out on Thursday in Soweto, a sprawling township outside Johannesburg, the country's largest city, and Durban, a major port on the east coast.
The violence comes amid growing anger over a court ruling which would allow some migrants who had arrived in the country illegally to apply for asylum.
This had led to long queues outside immigration centres and the government on Friday said it would change the way it would comply with that ruling, without giving details.
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