Special police team probes killing of anti‑migrant leader in South Africa
South African police have launched a special investigation into the killing of Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, a provincial leader of the anti‑migrant movement March and March, whose death has intensified tensions around the country’s immigration debate.
Somgxada was shot in the driveway of his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month and died days later in hospital. Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane announced a multidisciplinary team to probe the case, calling it a priority for the service. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” he said.
The movement’s spokesperson, Sandile Dube, described the killing as retaliation for the group’s campaign to force undocumented migrants out of South Africa. He said other leaders had received death threats in recent weeks, warning that the organisation was facing intimidation. “This seems like an orchestrated hitman type of killing,” Dube told the BBC.
Immigration has become one of South Africa’s most divisive issues. March and March set an unofficial deadline of June 30 for undocumented migrants to leave, and vowed weekly protests until their demands are met. The government, meanwhile, says more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated in the past five weeks under its “migration management” campaign.
The demonstrations have already seen violence, looting and intimidation. On Tuesday, five men were arrested in Limpopo for impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully ordering foreign nationals to leave. Police said one Nigerian national, legally resident in South Africa, was forced to shut down his business.
Lt Gen Dimpane issued a stern warning against vigilante actions: “No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities. The law applies equally to everyone.”
South Africa, the continent’s wealthiest nation, has long attracted migrants seeking economic opportunity. But xenophobia has repeatedly flared, and Somgxada’s killing underscores how volatile the issue has become, with political activism, community anger and violence now colliding in deadly ways.
Source: BBC
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