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South Africa Deploys Troops for Protests

President Cyril Ramaphosa has deployed 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to assist police in controlling violent anti-migrant protests. The deployment runs through November ahead of local elections.

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A police officer carrying a weapon walks past a shop as police maintain a presence during a march following anti-migrant unrest in Johannesburg and the coastal city of Durban, where vehicles were torched and foreign-owned shops were looted, in Johannesburg, South Africa, October 9, 2026. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

South Africa deployed 510 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to control anti-migrant protests, costing 34.1 million rand ($2.05M). The deployment runs from October 9 through November 30 ahead of local government elections. Unrest follows disinformation about a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seekers, driving foreign nationals out of the country.