Five Mozambicans killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa – Mozambique government

The Mozambican government has confirmed that five of its citizens were killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa over the weekend, marking the first official deaths linked to recent anti-immigrant protests sweeping the country.

According to a statement from the government press office received on Tuesday, about 800 Mozambican nationals were caught up in the violence that erupted on Friday in the southern coastal city of Mossel Bay.

“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 300 Mozambicans to return to their country by their own means on Saturday. The statement, issued late Monday, added that the remaining 500 people have been sheltered at a safe location in Western Cape Province, and their repatriation to Mozambique began on Monday.

South African police said on Sunday they were investigating the deaths of two men at an informal settlement in Mossel Bay, where xenophobic attacks had been reported. Authorities did not say whether those deaths were linked to the protests, nor did they immediately disclose the nationalities of the two men.

The area mayor, Dirk Kotze, expressed “deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced.”

The region has experienced anti-migrant protests similar to those recently reported in Johannesburg, Durban, and parts of Eastern Cape province. South Africa has witnessed recurring waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when dozens of migrants were killed and thousands displaced. Similar outbreaks occurred in 2015 and 2021, often fueled by economic hardships and political rhetoric against immigrants.

The latest surge in anti-immigrant tensions comes as political parties intensify campaigns ahead of local government elections scheduled for November.