CLERMONT, KwaZulu-Natal — The South African National Defence Force has been deployed to KwaDabeka in Clermont, west of Durban, following a devastating wave of business lootings that struck overnight amid ongoing nationwide protests targeting undocumented immigrants.
The unrest has left local business owners reeling after two supermarkets and a dental practice within a shopping centre were ransacked, with criminals making off with valuable goods and specialized medical equipment. The centre remained closed on Tuesday as protests against undocumented immigrants swept across the country, yet it still became a target under the cover of darkness.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) reported that 150 arrests have been made across KwaZulu-Natal in connection with the unrest, while 120 marches have taken place throughout the province.
Millions in Damages for Local Businesses
The centre manager, who oversees a facility that employs 19 local residents, said the damage is expected to run into millions of rands. Describing the chaos that unfolded, the manager noted that even police presence proved insufficient to protect the property.
“It’s not something which I can describe because people have been overloaded,” the centre manager stated. “Even the police they couldn’t be able to manage to save the property and they took the goods which was inside.”
The manager emphasized that the affected businesses served as crucial anchors for the surrounding community, with one of the ransacked supermarkets being described as “the biggest store around” for local residents.
A Familiar Nightmare for Business Owners
For these business owners, the destruction represents a devastating repetition of history. During the widespread unrest that gripped South Africa in July 2021, many of the same establishments suffered identical fate. Now, proprietors are left to pick up the pieces once again.
“It’s not the first time. It happened in 2021. There was other looting, the first looting. So this is the second time,” one business owner said, noting that the amount of damage exceeds millions of rands.
Tensions Boil Over in Durban Central Business District
While Clermont faced physical destruction, the Durban Central Business District experienced a different form of unrest. In areas where foreign-owned shops operate, shutters remained firmly down as precautionary measures. Although most businesses stayed locked throughout the morning, only a few ventured to open by midday.
However, tensions escalated into near-clashes when local salon owners found themselves unable to operate. The dispute centered on allegations that undocumented foreign nationals were continuing to run salons inside premises that local business owners claim constitute illegal operations.
Salon owners reported confusion and frustration as some establishments appeared to operate inconsistently with protest restrictions. “Another salon, it was open. It was closed. Yesterday just now it’s open,” one salon owner explained, describing how members questioned why certain businesses could continue operating while others remained shuttered.
The situation intensified when one salon owner’s member discovered a competitor working inside a premises that had been closed the previous day, raising questions about compliance with protest-related closures.
Landlady Caught in the Middle
At one building where tensions required law enforcement intervention, the property owner expressed frustration over her limited ability to verify the legal status of her tenants.
“I have people that submitted documents which I am not immigration to verify whether it’s fake or whether it’s valid,” the landlady explained. “So I am not immigration to know that. So we get police coming in here day and night finding out about their documents. So we submit their documents to them and they say no, it’s not right. So you tell me out there, what do we do?”
The landlady’s comments highlight the complex challenges facing property owners who find themselves caught between legal obligations and their inability to independently verify immigration documentation.
Business Impact Assessment Pending
Organized business groups in the province are expected to release a comprehensive statement later this week detailing the economic impact of business closures during the marches. The statement is anticipated to provide insight into the broader financial consequences of the ongoing unrest on KwaZulu-Natal’s commercial sector.
The deployment of the SANDF marks a significant escalation in the government’s response to the unrest, signaling the seriousness with which authorities view the combination of protest activity and criminal looting that has affected communities across the province.
