GQEBERHA – Eastern Cape police have been placed on high alert following tensions outside the Department of Home Affairs refugee reception office in Sydenham, Gqeberha, over asylum application procedures.
The tensions come amid public opposition to the implementation of a Constitutional Court ruling concerning access to the asylum application process.
On Friday, 9 October, a planned march in Buys Street did not proceed after Home Affairs Director-General Livhuwani Tommy Makhode withdrew a directive instructing refugee reception offices to process asylum applications immediately.
In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said the directive had overwhelmed its offices within days, placed officials at risk and raised serious concerns about public safety and order. The department said it would develop a revised operational approach to comply with the court ruling.
Mayibuye Civic Movement president Tukela Zumani said the organisation had been raising concerns outside the office since Thursday, particularly about the department’s capacity to manage the application process.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana confirmed that police had been monitoring the situation. She said officers had been instructed to remain on standby across the province.
“Overall, the Eastern Cape remains calm, with no incidents reported in other districts,” Gantana said.
Police also confirmed that public-order officers had responded to an earlier incident at the Gqeberha office, where a crowd allegedly blocked access to the building. Officers used stun grenades to disperse the crowd after attempts to get people to move away from the entrance, according to police accounts. No injuries or arrests were reported.
Gantana warned that while peaceful protest is a constitutional right, police would respond to unlawful conduct, including intimidation, road blockades and damage to property.
The withdrawal of the directive does not overturn the Constitutional Court ruling. Home Affairs says it will develop a new approach to implementing the judgment.
