Mozambique says five citizens killed in ‘xenophobic attacks’ in South Africa | South Africa
The Mozambican government said five Mozambican citizens were killed in “xenophobic attacks” in South Africa over the weekend; The first deaths were officially linked to protests against illegal immigration sweeping the country.
In the statement made by the government, it was stated that approximately 800 Mozambican citizens were captured in the violence that broke out in the southern coastal city of Mossel Bay on Friday.
It was stated that the violence caused 300 Mozambicans to return to their country by their own means on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, seven Mozambican citizens lost their lives; five of them died as a result of direct xenophobic attacks, and the other two died as a result of a traffic accident while traveling in a private vehicle on their way back to Mozambique,” the statement said.
It said the remaining 500 affected people “have since been housed in a secure location in the Western Cape province and the process of repatriation to Mozambique is currently ongoing.”
South African police said Sunday they were investigating the deaths of two men at an informal settlement in Mossel Bay, a port city about 230 miles (380 km) east of Cape Town. They did not provide details and it was not immediately clear what nationality the two men were.
The area’s mayor, Dirk Kotze, expressed “deep concern and horror at the current xenophobic attacks in which people are being killed, homes burned and families displaced.”
South Africa has long been a destination for documented and undocumented African workers. In recent decades, there have been repeated waves of xenophobic violence in which undocumented immigrants were accused of committing crimes and taking jobs from local people.
In 2008, anti-immigrant riots killed 62 people, including 21 South Africans, and displaced thousands. Other outbreaks followed in 2015 and 2016.
The latest surge in anti-immigrant tensions has been building for months and comes as political parties seek support ahead of local government elections in November.
A citizen-led group has issued an ultimatum to deport illegal immigrants by June 30, and there are reports that groups are checking foreign nationals’ documents and forcing small businesses run by non-South Africans to close. The action has no official support and has been criticized by authorities.
As tensions mount, Ghana sent 300 of its citizens abroad last week and plans to take hundreds more home.
Last month, several hundred foreign nationals from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Somalia sought protection in the eastern port city of Durban, saying locals were going door to door telling them to leave by the end of the month.
Many African countries, including Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, have called on their citizens in South Africa to be careful.
In the statement made by the Mozambican government, it was stated that the situation is variable and is expected to worsen before June 30, and that measures are being taken to support its citizens still in South Africa.
