By Desmond Nleya
DURBAN, South Africa – Businesses in and around the port city of Durban were counting heavy losses on Wednesday after widespread looting erupted in the wake of anti-illegal immigration protests held across South Africa.
The demonstrations, which drew thousands of participants nationwide on Tuesday, were part of a weeks-long campaign led by activist groups demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country by 30 June. While the majority of the protests remained peaceful, several communities experienced incidents of looting and vandalism.
According to authorities, more than 900 people were arrested during the operations. Those detained included individuals accused of looting, as well as undocumented foreign nationals found during law enforcement activities.
In Clermont, west of Durban, numerous businesses were ransacked, leaving behind empty shelves, damaged property, and discarded packaging. Shop owners reported that food, household appliances, building materials, clothing, and other merchandise were stolen, with some estimating their financial losses to be worth millions of rand.
Among those affected was Mohamed Abdul, a 29-year-old businessman originally from Somalia, who has operated his supermarket and retail store in the community for the past 11 years.
Abdul said a large crowd stormed his business on Tuesday evening, looting virtually everything inside, including an automated teller machine (ATM), although the machine’s safe was later abandoned outside the premises.
“We are legally in South Africa, but they still looted our shop,” Abdul said. “I was frightened and deeply disappointed because we employed 19 people who are now without work.”
He added that his business had long supported the surrounding community by providing donations to vulnerable families and had become one of the area’s most relied-upon stores.
The South African government deployed significant police and security resources ahead of the demonstrations amid concerns that the protests could trigger violence similar to the deadly unrest of 2021, when approximately 350 people lost their lives.
A multi-agency government security committee reported that 120 protest marches took place across the country, with only 12 requiring direct intervention from law enforcement officers.
Although organisers had anticipated massive nationwide participation, political analysts said turnout was lower than expected.
Governance expert Tendai Mbanje said the campaign appeared to overestimate its public support and suggested participation would have been even smaller without assistance from several minor political parties.
Political analyst Henning Melber also noted that, despite isolated incidents of violence and looting, the protests were significantly less disruptive than many had feared.
The demonstrations have once again highlighted South Africa’s ongoing challenges surrounding illegal immigration, unemployment, and social tensions, issues that continue to fuel heated public debate while placing pressure on authorities to balance law enforcement with the protection of legal residents and businesses.
Source: African News
