DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — Two Congolese refugees have been arrested for public violence following a chaotic confrontation involving members of the March and March movement in Durban on Thursday. The clash left at least ten people injured, including three children, and has reignited urgent concerns over immigration tensions and the critical lack of temporary shelter in the city.
The incident unfolded on Che Guevara Road, where Congolese refugees have been camping outside the Department of Home Affairs for four months, having initially been placed in the area around April or May. According to Princess, a representative speaking on behalf of the displaced group, the violence began when individuals wearing March and March t-shirts approached their encampment with the stated intention to “clean the place” and force them to relocate.
Princess detailed that the attackers accused the refugees of harboring guns and drugs. However, when police intervened and searched the tents, no such items were found. Despite this, the situation rapidly escalated. “They started attacking us because we said we didn’t have anywhere to go, since the mayor is the one that dropped us here,” Princess explained.
The confrontation turned highly aggressive, with rubber bullets deployed and personal belongings scattered and destroyed. Princess reported that five members of their group, including two children and three men, sustained injuries requiring hospitalization. One child fainted and suffered a severe drop in blood sugar after being pushed and stepped on amid the chaos and rubber bullet fire, requiring immediate emergency medical transport. Another child suffered a broken leg from being trampled, while several adults were struck with sticks.
When questioned about their current security, Princess emphasized that the community feels entirely vulnerable. “We are 100 percent not safe. We need shelter,” she stated, noting that without timely police intervention, the situation could have resulted in even greater casualties.
The refugees, who were originally relocated to this pavement area by the mayor’s office, are now urgently appealing to the municipality for a resolution. Their primary demand is the provision of temporary shelter to relocate them from the streets. Princess noted that Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, a figure associated with the March and March group who was present during the incident, has explicitly stated she does not want the refugees remaining on the streets.
“The only solution is that they should give us temporary shelter so we can move from the streets, as Jacinta wants us to be,” Princess concluded, highlighting the ongoing four-month ordeal the group has endured while waiting for municipal assistance and safe housing.
