South African anti-migrant protests turn violent, with cars torched, gunshots fired

Anti-migrant protests in South ​Africa turned violent on ​Thursday, one in ‌the coastal ​city of Durban and another in Johannesburg's Soweto township, with cars torched at ‌both and gunshots fired in Soweto, local media reported. The unrest in Durban followed a protest by a group demanding that a ‌refugee centre stop processing asylum applications, the reports said.

News website ‌News24 said about 10 vehicles were overturned and set alight, while shops owned by foreign nationals were looted. In Soweto, residents clashed with foreign ⁠shop ​owners and gunshots were ⁠heard, broadcaster Newzroom Afrika said.

South Africa has seen months of anti-migrant ⁠marches this year that have drawn international criticism. Some of the ​marches have descended into violence and looting, and thousands of ⁠African foreign nationals have fled the country.

Migrants are often blamed for taking ⁠jobs, ​fuelling crime and straining public services, claims that social scientists say are not supported by evidence. Three decades since ⁠apartheid ended, South Africa remains deeply unequal and about a third of ⁠people ⁠are out of work. Despite this, it remains Africa's largest economy and continues to draw migrants.