Ramaphosa: Asylum Directive Suspension Was Lawful, Not Contempt of Court
The president says the withdrawal was a necessary pause before proper implementation, as questions mount over whether the online application process is still running.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly defended the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to suspend a directive that would have opened asylum applications to undocumented foreign nationals, saying the withdrawal was lawful and not contempt of court.
Speaking in a doorstep interview that Central News posted on X, Ramaphosa acknowledged the unrest that broke out in Durban and in Soweto, Johannesburg, attributing it directly to the Constitutional Court ruling that underpinned the directive.
The Department of Home Affairs had announced that asylum applications would be opened to undocumented foreign nationals living in the country. The announcement prompted immediate backlash, with protests turning violent in Durban before spreading to Soweto and other areas. The directive was subsequently withdrawn, with the department citing safety concerns.
Ramaphosa framed the suspension as a considered and lawful response. “The implementation could have been premature. It needs to be properly assessed and properly interpreted and evaluated,” he said. He added that courts do not expect government to implement rulings without first weighing their broader consequences.
“By no means is this contempt of court. We respect our courts. We are governed by a rule of law,” the president stated.
He described the suspension as a good move that would calm down the feelings of many South Africans.
The unrest that followed the directive saw vehicles torched and shops looted in Durban and Soweto. Under South African law, public violence, malicious damage to property and theft are criminal offences, and those acts are being investigated by the South African Police Service. The withdrawal of the directive did not immediately end the protests, and many South Africans questioned whether the government’s focus on monitoring the situation was enough.
As Briefly News reported on 12 October 2026, Ramaphosa also said the security cluster was monitoring the unrest.
Online process continues, critics say
Social media users were quick to dispute the government’s characterisation of events. Several commenters alleged that while the in-person application process had been paused, the online process remained active, calling the framing of a full suspension into question.
@Most_HighPower asked: “What stopped them to act?”
@Faith12281 wrote: “But the online applications are proceeding what are you saying?”
@owensonO2 said: “There is no halting of the process. They are moving the process to online application. When will these people stop lying?”
@theflourish_er observed: “If you look at this man’s face, you can clearly see he is lying and this whole issue is making him uncomfortable.”
@molukanele10487 wrote: “No department has suspended this for proper assessment as you say. It has moved online. Still status quo, Rams.”
The department has not responded to these specific claims.
The Enquirer will continue to follow the implementation of the directive and any further statements from Home Affairs.
