South Africa: Court Bars Anti-Immigrant Protesters From Going Near Home Affairs

24 people appeared in the Durban Magistrates Court on Monday

Two men facing charges related to last week's anti-immigrant violence have been released on R1,000 bail, on the condition that they not participate in any violent protests or go within 500 metres of a Home Affairs office.

Malizo Dzanibe, Sphelele Shinga (known as Magolide) and Wandile Nsibande appeared in the Durban Magistrates Court today after being arrested on Saturday. They were among 24 people who appeared in court.

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Shiga's charges were related to statements he made about his intention to shut down the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida. Dzanibe and Nsibande's charges related to last week's protest action, during which immigrants were targeted, businesses were vandalised, and vehicles were burnt.

Dzanibe and Shinga were granted bail, while Nsibande remains in custody. During the proceedings it emerged that Nsibande was on parole for a kidnapping conviction and has a pending assault case in Eshowe.

They were represented by a team of lawyers led by Xolani Zuma, husband of March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma. Ngobese-Zuma was also in the public gallery on Monday.

Another 21 accused also appeared in the same court on related charges on Monday. Only one was granted bail. Hundreds of March and March members gathered outside the court entrance to show support for the accused. All 24 accused will return to court on 16 October for a second round of bail hearings.

Throughout last week, protesters harassed asylum seekers queuing at the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Durban. On Thursday, hundreds of people marched from the reception centre. A scrapyard reportedly owned by an immigrant was set alight, dozens of shops were vandalised, and some were looted. Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane said 14 vehicles were torched.

By Sunday, the army was deployed to parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

The unrest followed false claims about the Constitutional Court's Scalabrini judgment of 7 July. Online posts said it gave asylum seekers citizenship. In fact, the court only struck down procedural barriers in the Refugees Act that let officials to turn asylum seekers away before their claims were heard.

Home Affairs called the claims about citizenship or "blanket legalisation," "categorically false" and said there appeared to be a coordinated disinformation campaign. An analysis of about 98,000 posts on X traced the earliest high-engagement posts to March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma.