South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorized the deployment of 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal province to reinforce police operations following recent violent clashes in Durban, the presidency announced Tuesday. The security response comes ahead of the country's local government elections on Nov. 4 and is scheduled to remain in place through the end of November at an estimated cost of approximately 34 million rand ($2 million).
According to the presidency, the military intervention was triggered by violent actions stemming from a misinformation campaign regarding a recent Constitutional Court ruling. The judicial decision removed procedural barriers for people seeking asylum in South Africa, sparking anti-immigrant demonstrations in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on Oct. 8. Protesters demanded the deportation of foreign nationals living in the country illegally. In Durban, South Africa's third-most-populated city and a hotspot for heightened anti-immigrant friction this year, riot police were deployed to the city center after foreign-owned shops were looted. Police in Durban also reported that a group of around 50 people beat a foreign national to death during a city center march last week.
The newly authorized deployment began the day after clashes broke out and forms part of Operation Prosper, a joint initiative between military and police forces that expands existing operations tackling gang violence and illegal mining. Using military forces to assist law enforcement is an established practice in South Africa, following similar deployments for gang violence in 2019 and illegal mining operations in 2023. Earlier this year, soldiers were mobilized on March 11 to support police in combating gang activity and illicit mining within Johannesburg's Riverlea and Westbury neighborhoods. That broader multi-province mission under Operation Prosper is authorized to run through March 31, 2027, covering Gauteng, the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, and North West provinces.
