Tensions ran high outside Durban's Diakonia Centre when foreign nationals and locals clashed, police were required to restore calm.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Media
Thursday’s violent confrontations between locals and foreign nationals outside the Diakonia Centre in Durban’s CBD lent further credence to growing calls by the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal and other stakeholders for an urgent multi-sector intervention to address rising tensions over illegal immigration in the city.
More than 100 predominantly Congolese nationals had sought refuge at the centre on Diakonia Avenue, a well-known place of safety for foreign nationals, after reportedly facing threats linked to escalating protests against undocumented migrants in Durban.
Buses were stationed outside the facility to transport the refugees to places of safety.
However, tensions escalated when members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and the March and March movement arrived at the centre.
What initially began as a relatively calm protest quickly descended into chaos as protesters and foreign nationals clashed in the street.
As tensions intensified, Durban Metro Police officers attempted to defuse the volatile situation.
Officials from the Department of Home Affairs were dispatched to the centre, where they joined discussions with representatives from the Premier’s Office in an effort to address the mounting crisis.
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba also arrived at the centre and was met with cheers from sections of the crowd calling for peace.
No further flare-ups were reported as protesters later engaged in singing and dancing on one side of the street, while the refugees observed silently from across the road under a heavy metro police presence.
ANC provincial spokesperson Sifiso Sonjica said earlier this week that the current situation reflected the growing complexity surrounding illegal immigration.
Sonjica said the issue required a coordinated response involving government institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, human rights advocates, traditional leaders, and religious communities.
He said the challenge extended beyond law enforcement and demanded collaboration across sectors to develop long-term solutions to what the party described as an increasingly complex issue.
Sonjica said the ANC’s call followed recent chaotic scenes outside Diakonia, which the party viewed as a sign of rising tensions in Durban and surrounding areas linked to illegal immigration, allegations of criminal activity, and growing intolerance.
He stressed that South Africa’s constitutional values must be upheld while condemning violence and lawlessness.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy founded on the rule of law, equality, and human dignity. As such, the ANC condemns acts of violence and lawlessness by anyone, irrespective of their immigration status,” he said.
The ANC also raised concerns about illegal immigration, undocumented foreign nationals, criminal syndicates, illegal trading activities, and the disregard for municipal bylaws in some areas.
“In the same vein, we need to accord importance to addressing serious and legitimate concerns regarding illegal immigration, undocumented foreign nationals, criminal syndicates, illegal trading activities, and the disregard of municipal bylaws in certain areas,” Sonjica said.
The party called for intensified law enforcement action and urged the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster to convene urgently to address migration management, weaknesses in border control, abuse of systems, and related criminal activity.
The ANC said that although new immigration legislation was currently before Parliament, existing laws were already sufficient to deal with illegal immigration, and called on the state to implement those laws without fear or favour.
“Therefore, the ANC calls upon all sectors to collaborate in addressing what is essentially a global phenomenon that, among other things, requires law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts to ensure the full implementation of the laws of the Republic,” Sonjica said.
He added that South Africa’s sovereignty must be protected and its borders secured, while rejecting xenophobia, vigilantism, and violence against vulnerable individuals.
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