Five Mozambicans Killed In Xenophobic Attacks In South Africa

At least five Mozambican nationals have been killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Mozambican government has confirmed, in the first deaths officially linked to a wave of anti-immigrant protests sweeping the country.

Around 800 Mozambican nationals were caught up in violence that broke out in the southern coastal city of Mossel Bay on Friday, the government press office said in a statement issued late Monday.

“Regrettably, seven Mozambican citizens have died, five of them as a direct consequence of the xenophobic attacks and the other two as a result of a road accident when they were travelling in a private vehicle on their way back to Mozambique,” the statement read.

The violence prompted around 300 Mozambicans to return home by their own means on Saturday. The remaining 500 were sheltered in a safe location in the Western Cape Province, with the government confirming that their repatriation process had begun as of June 1.

South African police said on Sunday they were investigating the deaths of two men at an informal settlement in Mossel Bay, a port town approximately 380 kilometres east of Cape Town, but did not confirm whether the deaths were linked to the protests or the nationalities of the victims.

Mossel Bay’s mayor Dirk Kotze described the situation as deeply concerning, voicing “deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced.”

The Mozambican government said the situation remained volatile and was expected to worsen ahead of June 30, a date set by a citizen-led group called March and March as a deadline for the expulsion of all undocumented migrants from South Africa.

Mozambique said it was working on measures to support its nationals still in the country.

Nigeria and several other African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe, have issued advisories urging their citizens in South Africa to exercise caution amid rising anti-immigrant tensions and attacks.

South Africa has experienced recurring waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when 62 people were killed and thousands displaced in attacks across the country. Similar episodes occurred in 2015 and 2021.

The latest surge in anti-immigrant tensions comes ahead of local government elections scheduled for November, with several political parties campaigning on a platform of stricter enforcement against undocumented migration.