By Charmaine Ndlela and Johnathan Paoli
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba says authorities have begun processing hundreds of foreign nationals sheltering at the Diakonia Centre in Durban’s CBD, as anti-immigration protests escalate across KwaZulu-Natal and spill into other parts of the country, including Thokoza in Ekurhuleni.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Xaba said government departments, police and representatives of the foreign nationals had agreed on a coordinated plan to transport occupants to a refugee processing centre in Albert Park, where their documentation and legal status would be verified.
“We’ve organised buses and the first group will be transported to the centre in Moore Road [Albert Park] to be processed, because they must be processed. During that process, those without documentation may not be able to proceed through the court process,” Xaba said.
He said the operation involves the Department of Home Affairs, police and the courts, with undocumented migrants expected to face arrest, prosecution and eventual deportation.
“Those who do not qualify to be in the country, who lack the necessary documents, the police will arrest them because that is the procedure,” he said.
The Diakonia Centre remained under heavy police guard on Thursday, with an estimated 350 to 400 foreign nationals still sheltering there after fleeing alleged intimidation, assaults and threats linked to anti-immigration protests in Durban.
Earlier, some occupants were seen urgently organising asylum and refugee documentation as verification got under way.
A spokesperson for the group, youth leader “Ms Mbate,” told SABC News most of those sheltering were legally documented refugees and asylum seekers. She dismissed claims they had been ordered to vacate the facility by 11:00, saying discussions with authorities were ongoing.
Tensions later flared outside the centre when members linked to the March and March movement and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party arrived, prompting clashes between protesters and foreign nationals before SAPS and eThekwini metro police intervened.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), an inter-agency security coordination body, said the verification process is being led by an integrated team including police, Home Affairs, Social Development and Transport departments, as well as provincial law enforcement.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the operation aims to establish the legal status of those at the centre and is not intended to legitimise undocumented migration.
“South Africa is committed to a rules-based approach to immigration, anchored in the Constitution and the rule of law, balancing national security with human rights obligations,” he said.
He added that undocumented migrants would be processed for deportation, while police investigate allegations of assault, intimidation and malicious damage to property linked to the unrest.
Netshiunda said 29,731 undocumented foreign nationals have been arrested nationwide since January under Operation Shanela II and related enforcement actions, while 59,814 were deported in the previous financial year.
Former president Thabo Mbeki condemned rising anti-migrant sentiment, warning against scapegoating African migrants for South Africa’s socio-economic challenges.
He said African countries had played a critical role in supporting the anti-apartheid struggle and warned that the spirit of African solidarity had weakened.
“You are not going to solve unemployment by shouting against undocumented Africans. We are pointing fingers at the wrong people,” Mbeki said.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile also condemned xenophobic violence during a NEPAD business breakfast in Cape Town, calling for law enforcement action against perpetrators rather than mob justice.
The protests also spread to Gauteng, where residents marched through Thokoza and the Alrode industrial area in Ekurhuleni, demanding the dismissal of undocumented foreign workers and prioritisation of South African employment.
The demonstrations were led by the Thokoza Abahambe Forum, with activist Nkosikhona “Phakelumthakathi” Ndabandaba joining the march.
Protesters blocked roads and targeted factories, accusing businesses of employing undocumented foreign nationals over unemployed locals.
Meanwhile, ActionSA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo intensified criticism of foreign-owned spaza shops and accused police of “legitimising” undocumented operators.
He said the party plans to escalate its campaign targeting the spaza shop sector in the metro.
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