South Africa pulls asylum directive after violent protests

South Africa has halted a new directive for the processing of asylum applications after violent protests broke out in Johannesburg and Durban. The directive was issued by the Department of Home Affairs in response to a court judgement. The court ruling said asylum seekers could not be denied access to South Africa's asylum system solely on procedural grounds, such as entering the country illegally. That decision led to days of protests in the major coastal city of Durban, which then spread to Johannesburg's Soweto township on Thursday. Rioters torched 14 cars in Durban and 10 in Soweto. Shops were looted in both locations. The unrest in Durban followed a protest by a group demanding that a refugee center stop processing asylum applications.