The Durban High Court is expected to rule on Friday whether an interim interdict obtained by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia against the March and March Movement should be made final.
The application follows weeks of violent anti-immigration protests in Durban, which have resulted in the death of a foreign national, vehicles being torched, businesses being looted and several shops being damaged.
The interim interdict was granted on Wednesday and is expected to return to court at 10am on Friday.
The applicants are seeking to restrict the movement, its leader and several named members from organising or participating in marches, protest convoys and gatherings in specified areas of eThekwini.
In court papers, police argue that the intervention is necessary to protect residents, businesses, public infrastructure and lives amid escalating tensions between members of the movement, foreign nationals and law enforcement officers.
The founding affidavit by Brigadier Thamsanqa Gama also details police intelligence concerning an alleged plot to set fire to the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre in Berea, along Che Guevara Road.
Gama warned of an immediate threat to public safety and order in Durban and the wider province.
Police have also raised concerns about possible retaliatory attacks following the recent killing of a foreign national during the unrest.
The application follows reports that 14 vehicles were set alight and approximately 12 shops were damaged during protests in Durban's central business district.
A murder investigation was also launched after a Ugandan national was assaulted and stabbed on Dr Pixley kaSeme Street.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda previously said two men allegedly broke away from a group of protesters and approached the victim before several people assaulted him.
The motive for the killing had not been established, with police continuing investigations to identify those responsible.
The court application names the March and March Movement as the first respondent, followed by its leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, and five other individuals.
The eThekwini Municipality, the head of the eThekwini Municipal Police Services and the Minister of Home Affairs are also cited as respondents.
Among the restrictions sought are orders prohibiting violence, intimidation, assault and harassment of residents, business owners, traders, motorists and public officials.
The applicants are also seeking to prevent looting, arson, damage to property, forced business closures and disruptions to deliveries.
Specific protection is being sought for the refugee reception centre, with police asking the court to prohibit any attempts to attack or set fire to the facility.
The legal action follows a series of demonstrations by March and March, a movement campaigning against illegal immigration and calling for stricter enforcement of South Africa's immigration laws.
The movement has increasingly focused its protests on the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre, where asylum seekers and refugees access documentation services.
On October 6, protesters blocked access to the facility, disrupting services and leaving asylum seekers, including women and children, waiting outside.
The demonstrations followed a Constitutional Court ruling concerning access to South Africa's asylum system for people who entered the country irregularly or failed to apply for protection within the prescribed timeframes.
Home Affairs subsequently introduced measures allowing people who approach refugee reception offices and express an intention to seek asylum to have their applications received.
However, the department acknowledged that the changes had resulted in unintended consequences, including increased demand and capacity constraints.
Meanwhile, Ngobese-Zuma has criticised the court application, accusing the government of attempting to undermine the movement's constitutional right to protest.
In a social media statement on Wednesday, she called on supporters to stand with the movement against the police minister and President Cyril Ramaphosa, alleging that state power was being abused.
The movement's national spokesperson, Sandile Dube, also described the application as an attempt to silence public grievances ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
Ngobese-Zuma has confirmed that the movement intends to attend Friday's court proceedings.
The court action comes after Tuesday's demonstration, during which members marched from the refugee reception centre to Berea police station to hand over a memorandum.
The memorandum raised concerns about immigration enforcement, corruption, employment opportunities, business practices and the regulation of e-hailing services.
The movement is calling for stronger policing, transparent recruitment processes and improved economic opportunities for South Africans.
Based on reporting by IOL News