# Anti-immigrant mob threatens to burn women and children in Pretoria

> Violent protests force Home Affairs to reverse its decision to reopen asylum offices after a Constitutional Court ruling.
- Title: Anti-immigrant mob threatens to burn women and children in…
- Summary: Violent protests force Home Affairs to reverse its decision to reopen asylum offices after a Constitutional Court ruling. Home Affairs closed asylum offices…
- Keywords: home affairs, asylum seekers, pretoria, durban, anti-immigrant violence, constitutional court, operation dudula, march and march, xenophobia, refugee reception office, news, politics
- Source: Daily Maverick — https://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-09-anti-immigrant-mob-threatens-to-burn-women-and-children-in-pretoria
- Author: Seth Thorne, Joseph Bracken, Tsoanelo Sefoloko and Joseph Chirume
- Published: 2026-10-09T18:39:09+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: home affairs, asylum seekers, pretoria, durban, anti-immigrant violence, constitutional court, operation dudula, march and march, xenophobia, refugee reception office, news, politics
## Mobs threaten to burn immigrant shopkeepers
Anti-immigrant protesters armed with sticks and sjamboks told immigrant shopkeepers in Pretoria on Friday, October ninth: Your time is up. We will lock you in your shops and set them on fire.

> Your time is up! We will lock you in your shops and set them on fire.
## Groups gather at Refugee Reception Office
Anti-immigrant groups including March and March, Operation Dudula and the United Progressive People's Alliance Party gathered outside the Refugee Reception Office in Marabastad, Pretoria.
## Operation Dudula vows to block asylum services
Operation Dudula's Tsaka Tsepedi said: We are staying here until the Home Affairs staff leave and make sure no immigrant accesses the services.

> We are staying here until the Home Affairs staff leave and make sure no immigrant accesses the services.
## Police stand by as immigrants are attacked
Immigrants were chased, water bottles were thrown at them and they were spat at. Police stood by and did not intervene during the violence in Pretoria.
## Mobs force immigrant shops to close
About twenty people carrying sticks and sjamboks moved to Luttig Street and forced immigrant shop owners to close their stores. Some South African residents tried to defend the immigrant shop owners.
## Reporter attacked while documenting protests
GroundUp reporter Seth Thorne had his phone taken from his hand and was slapped on the face several times. He was told he should not take photographs of the protesters.
## Fourteen cars burned in Durban violence
Fourteen cars were set alight in Durban on Thursday as hundreds of people including March and March members targeted people they suspected of being immigrants, vandalising and looting stores.
## Home Affairs reverses asylum office reopening
The oversubscription of refugee offices and anti-immigrant violence forced Home Affairs to close its offices. An internal memorandum cited unintended consequences, national interest and security considerations.
## Activists demand online applications instead
Chris Mapingure of the Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network said the government should revert to online applications to avoid confrontation between xenophobic groups and asylum seekers.
## Asylum seekers left in limbo by reversal
Dale McKinley of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia said suspending the asylum directive leaves all asylum seekers in limbo and the government has bowed to pressure from anti-immigrant groups.

> Suspending the implementation of the directive leaves all asylum seekers in limbo. That is the bottom line.
## Key takeaway

Home Affairs closed asylum offices on October ninth after anti-immigrant mobs threatened violence against asylum seekers and immigrants in Pretoria and Durban, reversing a decision to reopen them following a Constitutional Court ruling.