Six refugees working in salons at Durban's Warwick Street Market were attacked and beaten by a group of men wielding sticks on 14 July 2026.Two victims required hospitalization, while four others sustained minor injuries before escaping to a nearby refugee camp.Raphael Bahebwa of the Congolese Solidarity Campaign confirmed that all six had been staying at a camp near Home Affairs offices on Che Guevara Road.Samuel Nyandwi, a Burundian asylum seeker, described how he was beaten after being chased by assailants who demanded refugees leave the country.The attack followed warnings from the same group the previous day.

Nyandwi, who had returned to work after evading an eviction notice, recounted being dragged from a salon by attackers threatening to throw him from a first-floor window.Women in the salon called police repeatedly, and Nyandwi eventually reached hospital via his uncle.The refugees plan to file a police case once hospitalized victims are discharged.

This incident highlights ongoing xenophobic violence against migrants and the dire conditions faced by displaced persons camping near Home Affairs without state support.