Special police team investigates killing of anti-migrant leader in South Africa
A special police team has been established in South Africa to investigate the murder of Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, a provincial leader of the anti-migrant group March and March. The group believes the killing was retaliation for their campaign against undocumented migration.
South African police have formed a multidisciplinary team to probe the killing of a provincial leader of the anti-migrant movement March and March. Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, who headed the group's branch in Gauteng province, was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month and died in hospital several days later.
March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube told the BBC that the group believes Somgxada was deliberately targeted in retaliation for their campaign urging undocumented migrants to leave the country. Dube said other leaders had recently received warnings or death threats, describing the killing as an “orchestrated hitman type of killing.”
Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane announced the creation of a multidisciplinary team to investigate the shooting, emphasizing that the police service is treating the case with seriousness and is committed to a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances and ensure accountability.
Immigration, particularly undocumented migration, has become a highly contentious political issue in South Africa. Protesters accuse migrants of straining public services and being involved in crime. March and March had set an unofficial deadline of 30 June for all migrants without papers to leave the country, with weekly marches promised until demands are met.
The South African government has stated that more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since launching a “migration management” campaign five weeks ago. Xenophobia has long been a problem in South Africa, the continent's wealthiest nation, which attracts migrants seeking better economic opportunities. This has sometimes led to violence, and the current round of demonstrations has seen violence, intimidation, and looting.
On Tuesday, five people were arrested in Limpopo province for allegedly impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave the country. Police said a Nigerian national legally in South Africa was intimidated and forced to close his business. Dimpane issued a stern warning against those who continue to intimidate, harass, and perpetrate violence against foreign nationals, stating that the law applies equally to everyone and no individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections or remove people from communities.
When asked about how some foreign nationals had been treated by anti-migrant protesters, Dube said March and March rejects any form of violence and is against lawlessness. Official figures show more than three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa, not counting those in the country illegally. Several countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, have been organizing flights or buses for their citizens to return home in recent weeks.
