Ramaphosa approves army deployment in KZN, warns against looting

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the government will not allow looting and attacks on businesses under the cover of protests against illegal immigration. The Citizen reported on his remarks in Durban, where he promised action to protect lives, property and lawful traders.

Soldiers to be used in KwaZulu-Natal

Ramaphosa was speaking at a gala dinner marking the 170th anniversary of the Durban business chamber. He said criminals were taking advantage of public anger over illegal migration to stir up tension and shield their own crimes. Worries about immigration, he stressed, should never become an excuse for criminality or turn communities on each other.

He told guests that investment cannot grow where there is lawlessness.

According to the president, a number of small businesses in eThekwini have recently suffered looting and vandalism. The death of a man in the Durban city centre is also being investigated. Ramaphosa described these incidents as isolated, but said the government was not willing to gamble. He announced that he had approved the use of SANDF soldiers in KwaZulu-Natal through November.

A city on the road to recovery

The president spent much of his speech on Durban’s comeback after unrest in 2021 and the severe floods of 2022. He credited the chamber with helping to lead the rebuilding effort, saying business and government had worked side by side to get the economy moving again and repair damaged infrastructure.

He listed several encouraging signs:

• R124.5 billion in investment commitments from the recent KwaZulu-Natal Investment Conference
• More tourists visiting
• Better employment figures
• Improvements at the Port of Durban, recently named the most improved container port in the world

Ramaphosa said work on freight rail and port operations was starting to deliver results. “The signs of Durban’s recovery are clear,” he said.

He admitted, however, that serious problems remain. Poor service delivery in the metro, especially around water, is holding back recovery, he said, and a large infrastructure backlog is limiting both investment and services for residents.

What this means for residents

For people in KwaZulu-Natal, the main practical change is the visible presence of soldiers until the end of November. Small business owners, who were hit hardest by the recent looting, have been promised stronger protection from the state.

South Africans go to the polls on 4 November. Ramaphosa urged eThekwini residents not to let divisions undermine the progress made so far. “Let it be a vote for progress,” he said.

This story is based on reporting by The Citizen.