South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal province to support police efforts to contain anti-migrant protests and related violence.
The deployment, announced by the president’s office on Tuesday, October 27, will run from October 9 to November 30 and is expected to cost 34.1 million rand, equivalent to about US$2.05 million.
The move comes ahead of South Africa’s November 4 local government elections and follows calls by anti-migrant groups for nationwide demonstrations.
South Africa has experienced months of anti-migrant marches this year, some of which have turned violent. The unrest has drawn international criticism, with thousands of African foreign nationals reportedly fleeing the country.
Ramaphosa’s office said the military deployment followed recent violence linked to misinformation about a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers. The ruling established that asylum seekers cannot be denied access to the country’s asylum system solely on procedural grounds.
Earlier this month, protests in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal’s largest city, and Soweto, a township in Johannesburg, escalated into violence. Vehicles were set on fire, and foreign-owned shops were looted.
The unrest has also raised concerns about attacks on foreign nationals. Last week, a foreign national was allegedly beaten to death by a crowd in Durban, according to reports cited by Reuters.
The deployment is intended to support police operations as authorities respond to the unrest. The developments have intensified concerns about the safety of migrants and other foreign nationals living in South Africa.