The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has ordered the deployment of more than 500 members of the Armed Forces to the east of the country this Tuesday, in reaction to the "recent violent acts" recorded in the area and in light of the upcoming municipal elections set for November 4.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the South African Army will deploy 510 soldiers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where they will remain until the end of November with the mission of supporting the Police in maintaining public order "in light of the recent violent acts arising from a disinformation campaign" about refugees.
This operation, valued at 34 million rands (more than 1.8 million euros), aims to reinforce security throughout the province and, in particular, in Durban, its main city, which has been the scene of numerous attacks against foreign citizens. Xenophobic tensions have been increasing in recent years in various regions of the country.
KwaZulu-Natal was already the central focus of the anti-government riots in 2021, triggered by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. His political party, uMkhonto weSizwe, emerged as the leading force in the province in the 2024 general elections and is expected to achieve a notable result in the municipal elections next week.