Mozambique says 5 citizens killed in ‘xenophobic attacks’ in South Africa

The Mozambican government has reported that at least five of its citizens were killed in what it described as "xenophobic attacks" in South Africa over the weekend. The violence, which erupted in the southern coastal city of Mossel Bay, affected around 800 Mozambicans. This marks the first officially confirmed deaths directly linked to widespread protests targeting undocumented immigrants.

According to a government statement, seven Mozambican citizens died in total: five as a direct result of the attacks and two in a road accident while returning to Mozambique. The violence prompted 300 Mozambicans to return to their home country on Saturday. The remaining individuals, numbering just over 500, have been sheltered in a secure location in the Western Cape Province, and repatriation efforts began on June 1.

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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.

South African police confirmed they are investigating the deaths of two men in an informal settlement in Mossel Bay, where xenophobic attacks had been reported. However, they did not immediately confirm if these deaths were linked to the protests or the nationalities of the deceased. Mossel Bay mayor Dirk Kotze expressed "deep concern and dismay" over the attacks, which also involved the burning of houses and displacement of families.

This surge in anti-immigrant sentiment and violence comes as political parties vie for support ahead of local government elections in November. South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence, with significant flare-ups occurring in 2008, 2015, and 2021, which resulted in numerous deaths and displacements.

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deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced