Durban marchers accused of defying court order, attack police

POLICE are investigating possible contravention of an interim court order and assault on police officers following an alleged altercation with marchers in Durban on Tuesday (November 10).

According to KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the Public Order Police (POP) in the province had to use minimum proportional force to disperse a group of people who were marching on Che Guevara Road in Umbilo on Tuesday afternoon.

“A group of people, most of them carrying dangerous weapons such as sticks, and some of them concealing their faces with masks and other items, moved away from the gazebos they camp under opposite the Home Affairs offices in Umbilo and embarked on a march just after 15:00,” he said.

Also read: Foreign national beaten to death by group of men in Durban CBD

Netshiunda said that POP officers stopped the marchers and reminded them about the interim court order which prohibited marches after 15:00, the carrying of dangerous weapons and wearing of masks and other items to hide faces during marches.

“During the deliberations, the marchers, who did not have marshals controlling them as required by law, became violent and started throwing stones at the police. To manage the crowd and restore public order, police used minimum force such as stun grenades and rubber bullets. Police are continuing to manage the situation on the ground. No injuries were reported to the police,” he added.

Investigations are underway.

Late last month, the March and March lawyer Xolani Zuma announced that the group would cease the protests to allow for the 2026 Local Government Elections to take place, before resuming with protests, within the parameters of the court’s conditions.

The Department of Home Affairs has since launched the first phase of the Digital Asylum System, which is a new digital platform to record intentions to apply for asylum. This platform allows individuals that are seeking asylum to record their intention to apply digitally, while requiring them to upload personal information, facial biometrics and their supporting documents. The portal is now live for a first batch of test cases and will begin public intake following the Department’s next scheduled routine software release this weekend.

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