Tensions have escalated in Soweto as residents protesting against a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum applications shut down spaza shops operated by foreign nationals, with vehicles reportedly torched and gunshots heard.

Thembelihle Mabanga

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Tensions are escalating in Soweto as residents take to the streets to protest against the Constitutional Court’s recent ruling concerning asylum applications.

Aggrieved protesters initially marched to the Department of Home Affairs branch in Orlando, but the office was forced to close early amid safety concerns.

The protests later spread to local spaza shops, with residents shutting down at least two businesses operated by foreign nationals.

Some protesters say they are unhappy with the Constitutional Court judgment, arguing that it undermines South Africa’s immigration laws and gives asylum seekers greater access to the country’s asylum system.

They questioned why people they believe entered South Africa illegally should be allowed to apply for asylum.

Tensions between residents and foreign shop owners have since escalated, with reports of clashes in the area. Vehicles were reportedly set alight, while gunshots were also heard during the unrest.

The latest developments come amid growing tensions around immigration and the operation of spaza shops in townships.

The Constitutional Court judgment, together with a subsequent directive issued by Home Affairs, opened the asylum application process to foreign nationals regardless of how they entered South Africa.

The ruling has drawn criticism from groups opposed to illegal immigration, who have vowed to continue disrupting operations at refugee reception offices.

Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, Mmamoloko Kubayi, acknowledged that the judgment has placed additional pressure on South Africa’s migration system.

Speaking during a media briefing in Pretoria, Kubayi said the ruling had strained the country’s migration management system but rejected claims that it was preventing the Department of Home Affairs from providing services to South Africans.

The unrest in Soweto comes as government continues to grapple with the challenges surrounding undocumented migration, asylum applications and tensions between local communities and foreign nationals.

Police have not yet confirmed the full extent of damage caused during the Soweto protests or whether any arrests have been made.