Refugees pelted with objects as tensions rise outside Durban Home Affairs office
Tensions escalated outside Durban’s Che Guevara Road Home Affairs office as March and March supporters and refugees clashed, while authorities considered transferring verified refugees to Lindela amid concerns about safety, shelter and legal rights.
A protest organized by the anti-illegal immigration group turned violent on Thursday, as demonstrators hurled rocks and other objects at refugees near Durban's Home Affairs office. The unrest erupted after the group's leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, warned participants not to approach police, alleging officers were armed and potentially armed with tear gas.
Ngobese-Zuma accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of causing the Marikana massacre and questioned the legality of the refugees' presence, citing municipal bylaws. Amid escalating tensions, the mayor, Cyril Xaba, was chased away by protesters. Later, Princess Adjei, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, revealed that refugees were undergoing verification at Home Affairs before being transported to the Lindela Repatriation Centre.
The move was confirmed by Xaba, who stated that Home Affairs was conducting checks before transferring the refugees. Human rights monitor Alim Leung voiced concerns about the refugees' rights and basic needs if they were relocated to Lindela, which has a history of human rights violations. Elana Bregin, a solidarity demonstrator, urged South Africans to acknowledge the potential for anyone to become a target and to embrace diversity rather than viewing refugees as outsiders. The group presented a memorandum and complaints to the Umbilo Police Station.
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