LIVE | Anti-Immigrant Protests: SANDF deployed to KZN, patrolling Durban CBD

Follow live updates on anti-immigrant tensions currently taking place in Durban.

6.15pm -The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been deployed to the streets of Durban after violent protests brought chaos to the city, leaving police overwhelmed and businesses destroyed.

Armed soldiers are now patrolling the Durban CBD alongside members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in a bid to restore order following yesterday's unrest.

Police struggled to contain angry protesters who spread across the city, demanding the repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals and an immediate halt to asylum applications.

With police outnumbered and stretched to their limits, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli called for the army to be deployed.

The protests left a trail of destruction, with shops and businesses damaged or destroyed.

At least 19 people have been arrested following the violence.

The SANDF deployment comes as authorities move to prevent further unrest and bring the situation under control

An injured man in the Durban CBD during this week's protest.

Image: Leon Lestrade