South African court grants interim ban on Durban anti-illegal immigration marches after police cite threats to burn a refugee office

South African police moved to suppress the anti-immigration protests after violence left one foreign national dead last week and at least 24 cars torched and shops looted earlier this month, when protests over a court ruling easing asylum access turned violent. The KwaZulu-Natal High Court will decide on Friday whether to make the interim ban permanent, with over 500 soldiers already deployed to the province.

March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma called the ban an attempt to suppress legitimate demonstrations against the government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa accused unnamed actors of 'exploiting public sentiment around illegal migration to stir up communities and to provide cover for criminality'.

The crackdown comes days before South African local elections, where illegal immigration has become a dominant campaign issue.