- Widespread unrest broke out in Durban and Soweto after a controversial Home Affairs asylum directive came into effect
- Celebrities including Thando Thabethe, Aubrey Qwana, Clement Maosa, and Sbuh Noah used their platforms to respond to the chaos
- The Department of Home Affairs reversed the directive on 9 October 2026 following the violence
Source: Instagram
South Africa was rocked by violent unrest in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and Soweto, Gauteng, after a Home Affairs directive tied to a Constitutional Court ruling sparked fury on the streets. Vehicles were set alight, shops allegedly owned by foreign nationals were looted, and properties were damaged as communities expressed their opposition to the asylum policy.
The backlash was swift enough to force a government retreat, with the Director-General of Home Affairs announcing the withdrawal of the directive on 9 October 2026.
The directive had been an operational instruction designed to comply with a Constitutional Court ruling handed down on 7 July 2026, which struck down provisions of the Refugees Act. Those provisions had previously allowed officials to turn away asylum applicants on procedural grounds, such as irregular entry or failure to report within set timeframes, without first assessing whether they had a legitimate protection claim. The Home Affairs Department said it would pursue a fresh process to determine how best to honour the binding court order.
Celebrities break their silence
As the unrest unfolded, a number of South African public figures refused to stay quiet. Phakelumthakathi, one of the prominent faces of the anti-immigration debate, addressed the situation head-on.
"Behind our beautiful South African flag, millions are still fighting illegal immigrants, poverty, hunger, and inequality. When will every South African live with dignity and hope? 🇿🇦😢 Kazi washonaphi unembeza kulo Hulumeni," he wrote.
Skeem Saam actor Clement Maosa posted the South African flag alongside a crying emoji and a broken heart, letting the image speak for itself. Thobani Nzuza went even further, sharing an image of a flag drenched in blood with no caption at all.
Gospel singer Sbuh Noah brought his frustration into plain words. "Are you guys seeing the videos? People are angry! It'll get worse. Our government creates these problems and is always the last to react if at all! We are not led," he wrote.
Aubrey Qwana urges artists to find their voices
Singer Aubrey Qwana delivered one of the most direct statements from the entertainment world. Acknowledging that fear of losing bookings has kept some in the industry silent, he pushed back against that hesitation.
"Others are afraid of talking because some of the bookings come from these people. Let's wake up, let's stand up. If you have a voice, use it. We are doing it for the future generations. We can't allow this to happen in our own backyard. I may be an artist but before everything else I'm proudly South African," Qwana said.
The government's decision to withdraw the directive did not resolve the underlying tension, with Home Affairs confirming that a new process would be developed to address the Constitutional Court's order.
Anele Mdoda calls out Home Affairs
In a related article, Briefly News reported on Anele Mdoda’s questions to Home Affairs after footage showed long queues of asylum seekers, with few women or children visible.
The surge in applications followed a Constitutional Court ruling that removed procedural barriers for people seeking asylum without valid visas, leaving some reception offices struggling to process applicants.
Source: Briefly News
Authors:
Tags:
Hot: