Watch — How a narrow court ruling became a week of anti-foreigner posts

In July 2026, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that asylum seekers cannot be turned away on procedural grounds before their claims are heard. When Home Affairs began implementing the ruling in October, posts about it on X rose from about 4,000 to 60,000 a day, many carrying false claims about citizenship, grants and voting.

Drawing on Murmur Intelligence data and reporting, this video explores who amplified those claims, how the online conversation moved to street mobilisation in Durban, and why it matters ahead of the 4 November local elections.

Reporting by: Kyle Findlay and Aldu Cornelissen, Daily Maverick (11 October 2026), drawing on Murmur Intelligence data.
Edited by: Joel Seboa
Produced by: Emilie Gambade 
Sub-edited by: Kevin Flynn

Read the full story here.

On 7 July 2026, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that asylum seekers cannot be turned away on procedural grounds, such as how they entered the country, before their claim is heard.

It was a narrow ruling, and it did not grant citizenship.

On 5 October, Home Affairs began implementing it, instructing refugee reception offices to resume accepting new applications.

Online, the response grew quickly. Murmur Intelligence found that posts about the ruling on X rose from about 4,000 on 3 October to about 60,000 on 8 October.

Many carried false claims — that the ruling grants citizenship, and that asylum seekers would gain access to grants, jobs, and a vote in the 4 November local elections. Home Affairs called the citizenship claims “categorically false”, and referred the matter to the Independent Electoral Commission.

Posts correcting those claims made up less than one percent of the conversation on X.

The first widely shared posts opposing the directive came from Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, leader of the March and March movement.

The analysis found the conversation was mostly South African, and highly concentrated. Forty percent of all reposts amplified just 20 accounts.

There is no direct evidence of payment or coordination, but paid influencers were prominent in the network.

On 6 October, posts reported that March and March members had closed a Home Affairs office in Durban.

Calls are now circulating for a national shutdown on 31 October, days before the local elections. DM