WATCH | SAPS commissioner heads to Soweto after chaos over asylum ruling

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Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandWhat started as what residents described as a peaceful campaign to close down spaza shops in Orlando West, Soweto, has escalated, with at least 10 vehicles allegedly set alight amid residents’ anger over the Constitutional Court judgment on asylum applications. PHOTO ANTONIO MUCHAVE SAPS acting national commissioner Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane will visit Soweto on Thursday evening to assess the security situation after violent protests and unrest linked to anger over a Constitutional Court judgment on asylum applications.

Dimpane is expected to assess police deployments in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and other identified hotspots, while outlining measures being implemented to maintain law and order.

WATCH | Orlando West resident Tshepo Mposula says the protest escalated after residents were shot at, with about 10 cars set alight and several people injured. He says four spaza shops have since closed. pic.twitter.com/PhrQ5Lou2R

Her visit comes after a day of chaos in Soweto and Durban, where vehicles were set alight, shops stoned and looted, foreign nationals forced out of areas where they operated spaza shops and a building was torched.

OCTOBER 08 2026 What started as what residents described as a peaceful campaign to close down spaza shops in Orlando West, Soweto, has escalated, with at least 10 vehicles allegedly set alight amid residents’ anger over the Constitutional Court judgment on asylum applications. PHOTO ANTONIO MUCHAVE The unrest followed growing anger over the Constitutional Court ruling, which found that asylum seekers could not be barred, detained or deported because of procedural or technical immigration errors, including irregular entry or failure to meet strict reporting deadlines.

The court also ruled that officials could not require asylum seekers to explain unlawful entry, produce an asylum transit visa or show “good cause” before applying for asylum.

Following the ruling, the department of home affairs directed refugee reception offices to accept asylum applications from anyone seeking protection, including those who entered the country illegally.

The ruling sparked protests, with residents in Orlando West gathering at home affairs offices before moving through the area and shutting down two spaza shops operated by foreign nationals.

The protests also spread to Durban, where about 14 vehicles had been set alight by late Thursday afternoon, while about 10 vehicles were torched in Soweto.

Dimpane’s assessment is expected to provide an update on police deployments and the operational measures being taken to contain the unrest.

The visit is scheduled for 8pm in Soweto, with the exact location to be confirmed by police.

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