South Africa has launched a police investigation into the killing of a provincial leader of an anti‑migrant group east of Johannesburg, a case unfolding against the backdrop of intensifying national tensions over illegal migration protests.
Police confirmed that Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng leader of the March and March movement, was shot outside his home earlier this month and died several days later in hospital.
Acting police chief Puleng Dimpane said a multidisciplinary team had been appointed to investigate the murder, describing the move as evidence of the seriousness with which authorities were treating the case.
“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” she said in statement.
Somgxada’s killing comes at a time when immigration, particularly undocumented migration, has become one of South Africa’s most divisive political issues.
Groups such as March and March accuse foreign nationals of African descent of straining public services and contributing to crime and had set an unofficial 30 June deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Weekly demonstrations have followed, some marked by violence, intimidation and looting.
The government says more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated in the past five weeks under its “migration management” campaign.
Xenophobia has long been a recurring problem in South Africa, Africa’s most industrialised economy and a magnet for migrants seeking work.
JN/APA