If you did not know better, you could have walked into Court A of the Humansdorp Magistratesâ Court on Monday and thought a packed public gallery was waiting for proceedings to get under way.
However, the public gallery served as a makeshift dock for the 69 people who made their first court appearance after being arrested for public violence and trespassing last week.
Moments before the case was called, people in the gallery were asked to vacate the courtroom while officials puzzled over the logistics of accommodating the crowd who faced charges related to an anti-migrant protest that turned violent on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
By the time Public Order Policing arrested the suspects in question and managed to restore peace to the townships of Ocean View, Pellsrus and Madiba Bay in Jeffreys Bay, 23 shops belonging to foreign nationals had been looted.
Fortunately, as the accused stood before the magistrate, calm had returned to the neighbourhoods â it was mostly business as usual for the shops and surrounding residents.
The 69 accused are scheduled to return to court on 23 October after the matter was postponed for further investigation.
Sixty of the accused were first offenders and were released on warning.
The remaining nine had previous convictions, which included charges such as assault, robbery and murder. They remained in custody as the State opposed their release. They will need to indicate whether they want to apply for bail by next week.
The court at the Humansdorp Magistratesâ Court had to be evacuated to allow the public gallery to be used for the 69 people arrested after anti-migrant protests in Jeffreys Bay turned violent last week. (Photo: Riaan Marais)
As they stood in the makeshift dock, a small crowd gathered outside the courthouse, singing songs and holding posters declaring âforeigners must goâ.
A heavy police presence, along with members of the SANDF, were on the scene to ensure that the picket did not become unruly.
Last weekâs protest, which started peacefully on Thursday morning and steadily escalated into the night, was part of the ongoing anti-migrant campaign that began across the country in June.
While thousands of foreign nationals have fled the country since the ongoing unrest began, hundreds of protestors have been arrested and appeared before their respective courts for their involvement in unlawful activities associated with the movement.
The violence in Jeffreys Bay is one of the latest and most prominent anti-migrant incidents in the Eastern Cape to date.
In a statement released after the incident, Kouga mayor Hattingh Bornman called for calm in the affected communities and thanked the law enforcement agencies involved for restoring peace.
âKouga Municipality strongly condemns all acts of criminality, violence, looting and intimidation. Regardless of the concerns that may give rise to public protest, there can be no justification for lawlessness, vigilantism, violence or the destruction of property. Those who engage in criminal conduct must be held fully accountable.
âThe safety of all residents, business owners and visitors remains our priority. We will continue working alongside SAPS, Community Policing Forums, neighbourhood watches, private security companies and all relevant stakeholders to support lawful efforts to restore calm, maintain public order and ensure that those responsible for criminal acts are brought to justice,â Bornman said.
Military personnel were deployed at the Humansdorp Magistratesâ Court in anticipation of protests as 69 people appeared in court for public violence. The accused were arrested in Jeffreys Bay last week when anti-migrant protests became a rampage. (Photo: Riaan Marais)
As court proceedings got under way on Monday morning, there was little evidence of the unrest that hit Jeffreys Bay four days before.
At an intersection between the town centre and the nearby townships, a military vehicle and several uniformed soldiers were posted, presumably to deter any possible criminal activity.
At the African Unit Mini Market in Ocean View, the shop owner said he was happy to open his doors to the community again.
âOnly a few people in this community pose a threat to foreign nationals. The majority of our neighbours welcome us. Without us, they need to travel to town for their basic needs. We provide a service, and they are happy to have us here,â the foreign national said.
He did not want to share his country of origin, and only referred to himself as âan Africanâ.
He said this was not the first time he had been threatened or had his shop forcibly closed.
âI was not scared. My documents are in order and I am in the country legally. I just want to run my shop in peace.â
Last week, 23 shops in Jeffreys Bay were looted when protests against foreign nationals turned violent. By Monday, shops had reopened and calm had been restored in the townships of Ocean View, Pellsrus and Madiba Bay. (Photo: Riaan Marais)
Further up the road, Madiba Shop, also owned by a foreign national, was easing back into business. The owner did not allow anyone into the shop and sold goods through a slot in the locked front gate.
âUntil I am sure nothing will happen again, this is how I will do business,â he said.
Walking with her three-year-old son down Rolihlahla Street, the main route into Ocean View, Olwethu Jonas said she had avoided the protest action as far as possible.
âI understand why the people are marching, and I agree with them to a certain extent. But here in Ocean View, we need these shops to stay open.
âIf I canât buy bread from the local shop, I have to walk into town or pay for a taxi. And many times the shops in town are more expensive. So I need these shops to stay open.â
On the other hand, Barry Khoza called the 69 people who were arrested last week ârevolutionaries and heroesâ and said they were being punished for no reason.
âThey were standing up for the rights of South Africans, and they are being treated unfairly. Foreign nationals, legal or not, should go back to their homes and leave South Africa to the South Africans,â Khoza said. DM