A new wave of xenophobic violence rocked South Africa on Thursday, with several cars razed and properties looted.
South African police confirmed that protests broke out in Soweto township and the city of Durban. The acting national police commissioner, Puleng Dimpane, said at least 10 vehicles were burnt down in Johannesburg and 14 in Durban.
In Durban, violence erupted in the CBD overnight, with shops looted, properties damaged and several vehicles set alight, SABC reported on Friday.
Footage of burning cars, vandalised properties and locals looting shops emerged on social media as the violent protests swept through Soweto and Durban.
The protests erupted over a court verdict easing access to asylum, including for migrants who entered South Africa without requisite asylum transit visas or missed reporting deadlines.
On Wednesday, the US consulate in South Africa issued a security alert over reports of locals unleashing violence and looting foreigners’ properties in Durban.