South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has deployed 510 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to KwaZulu-Natal to support Police in maintaining law and order following violence linked to misinformation about a Constitutional Court ruling on the Refugee Act.
The Presidency announced the deployment on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, saying the soldiers would remain on standby to assist Police when necessary.
The violence followed claims that the court’s ruling on asylum applications automatically grants blanket amnesty to undocumented foreign nationals. The Government has rejected the claims.
Earlier in October, police arrested 30 suspects — 25 in KwaZulu-Natal and five in Gauteng — in connection with public violence and unlawful protests. The deployment, authorised under Section 201(2)(a) of South Africa’s 1996 Constitution, runs from October 9 to November 30, 2026. The Presidency estimates the operation will cost R34,082,720.