Six refugees were assaulted by a group of approximately a dozen people wielding sticks at the Warwick Street Market in Durban on 14 July 2026. The victims, who are currently residing in a makeshift camp near the Home Affairs offices on Che Guevara Road, were working at the market when the attack occurred.
Investigation And Official Response
Two of the six victims sustained injuries severe enough to require hospitalisation following the assault. The attackers allegedly justified the violence by claiming the victims had no right to remain in the country, despite the refugees’ assertions that they possessed valid documentation.
We had been warned not to come back to the market by the same people the day before. They asked my name, and then they started beating me.
Samuel Nyandwi, one of the victims, identified the group as the same individuals who had threatened the refugees only twenty-four hours earlier. Fellow victim Rureza Rubazano confirmed the lack of regard the assailants showed for their legal status, stating, “We told them we had papers, but they didn’t care.”
Community Impact And Broader Context
This incident occurs amidst a period of escalating anti-migrant sentiment across South Africa, with frequent reports of vigilante groups targeting foreign nationals. These developments have placed displaced persons in a precarious position, with many living in informal conditions while seeking protection or awaiting administrative resolution from the Department of Home Affairs.
Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned that the rising tide of xenophobic violence is creating a severe healthcare and safety crisis for migrants. Local authorities and law enforcement agencies face mounting pressure to protect displaced individuals and address the proliferation of groups, often referred to as ‘March and March’, which claim to enforce immigration laws through extrajudicial means. Further statements from the South African Police Service regarding the status of the investigation are expected as the victims recover from their injuries.