By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@ReutersPhoto.
SA Police Services (SAPS) arrested nineteen suspects following violent protests which engulfed the City of Durban and surrounding suburbs.
Fifteen of the suspects were arrested last night, whilst four were nabbed on Thursday.
The violence comes amid growing anger over a court ruling which would allow migrants who had arrived in the country illegally to apply for asylum.
This had led to long queues outside immigration centres and the government on Friday said it would change the way it would comply with that ruling, without giving details.
The Department of Home Affairs said the current policy had seen its staff “overwhelmed”, while “serious threats to public safety and order had emerged”.
South Africa has experienced repeated outbreaks of xenophobic violence, often targeting migrants from neighbouring countries.
KZN police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda said the suspects face charges of public violence and malicious damage to property.
“Two houses were burnt in the Umbilo area, and several shops were damaged in and around Durban, whilst a few of those damaged shops were looted. The majority of those arrested were students.
“Intelligence officers, together with detectives, are continuing to search for those responsible for the burning of cars and buildings. They will appear in court soon,” he said.
SAPS have deployed Public Order management to various parts of Durban in anticipation of any disruptions or protests on Saturday.
Netshiunda said they have tactics and techniques to manage large crowds that have swamped streets of Durban.
He said where the situation gets out of hand, police continue to use minimum legal force such as stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets. He said more police resources are being redeployed from various parts of the province to augment the numbers on the streets of Durban.
“As the marches continue, police intelligence officers are hard at work identifying persons of interest, and at the appropriate time, detectives will follow up, gather evidence and effect arrests. Currently, police are doing their best not to engage in actions that may exacerbate the situation,” he said.
Migrants are often blamed for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services, accusations that social scientists say are unsupported by evidence.