- The South African National Defence Force moved into the Berea area of Durban on 21 October 2026
- The deployment of the army and police came after e-hailing drivers took to the streets in a motorcade protest
- The army was previously deployed to Durban following violent unrest that left cars torched and shops looted
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
KWAZULU-NATAL — Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) were deployed to the Berea area in Durban on 21 October 2026 as e-hailing drivers staged a protest motorcade through the city.
Images and videos shared on X showed uniformed personnel monitoring the route taken by the drivers, with security forces maintaining a visible presence along the procession.
What was the protest about?
The motorcade formed part of an action coordinated under the March and March movement, which has been pressing ride-hailing platforms Bolt and Uber to reduce driver commissions to 15% and introduce a minimum fare of R10 per kilometre.
Beyond pricing, drivers also raised concerns about passenger safety protocols and called for stricter immigration enforcement measures, referred to as "Abahambe."
Scooter delivery riders joined the motorcade alongside the e-hailing drivers, widening the demonstration to include a second sector of the gig economy workforce in the city.
The military was previously deployed in Durban during violent anti-illegal immigration protests which erupted in the city earlier in October 2026.
Those demonstrations resulted in vehicle torching, shop looting, and widespread property damage, which prompted authorities to deploy SANDF personnel in support of the police.
Phakel’umthakathi calls for calm in Durban
Nkosikhona Phakel’umthakathi Ndabandaba called for calm amid the escalating violence in the Durban Central Business District
Briefly News reported that shops were looted, vehicles torched, and several people were arrested during the unrest.
Speaking from the scene of the chaos, Ndabandaba warned leaders against inciting community members to commit acts of destruction.
Source: Briefly News
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