Ramaphosa assures nation the security cluster is on top of Durban unrest [VIDEOS]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that the security cluster in Durban is being handled effectively after the police used tear gas to disperse protesters marching against a recent court ruling. The Constitutional Court had ordered that refugees and asylum seekers be allowed to access processing centers, regardless of their illegal entry into the country.

Following the ruling, the Department of Home Affairs withdrew its directive on processing applications on Friday due to escalating violence. A house allegedly used as a brothel by a foreign national was set on fire in Durban's Campbell Road. Additionally, cars were torched in Orlando West and Soweto, while police in Gqeberha utilized stun grenades to control the crowd on Thursday.

Ramaphosa addressed the unrest during a visit to the Free State on Friday, emphasizing that the government is committed to addressing citizens' legitimate concerns about illegal immigration and its effects on service delivery and unemployment. Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia acknowledged these grievances but argued that the court's decision overlooked the administrative challenges and resources required to implement it.

Cachalia suggested that the government may seek a legal opinion on requesting the Constitutional Court to modify its order to overcome these difficulties.

The unrest in Durban has strained police resources, diverting attention from other critical issues like gender-based violence. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli stressed the importance of law-abiding behavior, warning that instability and violence hinder societal progress. He also pointed out that the destruction of businesses through arson harms future job opportunities for young people in the province.

Demonstrations led by controversial media personality Ngizwe Mchunu from Kwa Mai Mai in Johannesburg's CBD also resulted in the torching of a vehicle outside the Constitutional Court. While the situation in Johannesburg appeared calmer by Friday afternoon, the City of Johannesburg's mayor, Dada Morero, reported that while the directive against protests was withdrawn, significant work remains to address economic opportunities and unemployment.

Morero emphasized that while the Constitution protects the right to peaceful protest, protesters must also respect their obligations to do so without causing harm.