South Africa investigates killing as Malawians seek repatriation
Police opened a murder case in Pietermaritzburg after a reported mob attack, as anti-migrant groups press undocumented foreigners to leave.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
South African police have opened a murder investigation after a foreign national was killed in Pietermaritzburg, where hundreds of Malawians have gathered seeking to return home. The case comes during weeks of anti-migrant violence that, according to Al Jazeera and AFP, has prompted several African countries to arrange flights for citizens fleeing South Africa.
A local councillor, Suraya Reddy, told AFP on Tuesday that the man who died was a 29-year-old Malawian national attacked after a protest in the KwaZulu-Natal city on Friday. Police said they could not confirm his nationality until officials from his country had been notified.
South African police said in a statement that a mob attacked a man who fled to an informal settlement and then slipped into a river. Police said he was later found on a riverbend with a cut to the head and injuries to the mouth, and that investigators were still working to establish the circumstances.
The Malawian government said it was checking reports that one of its nationals had been killed, according to Al Jazeera and AFP.
Hundreds seek to leave
Hundreds of Malawian nationals have been assembling at a centre in Pietermaritzburg since Friday to request repatriation, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. The city lies near Durban in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province.
South African authorities have tightened security around the country ahead of a June 30 deadline announced by anti-migrant protest groups for undocumented foreigners to leave. Al Jazeera and AFP reported that the groups are small but organised, and have directed their ultimatum at migrants from countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique.
The demand has no legal basis, Al Jazeera and AFP reported. The threats have added to fears among migrant communities after weeks of xenophobic attacks that have left at least two people dead, according to their reporting.
Election tensions
The unrest is unfolding as political parties campaign for local government elections scheduled for November 4. During voter registration over the weekend, gunmen killed four people linked to political parties, Al Jazeera and AFP reported.
South Africa has faced repeated bouts of violence targeting foreigners and foreign-owned businesses. Al Jazeera reported that more than 60 people were killed in anti-migrant riots in 2008, with further violence in 2015 and 2016.
In 2019, armed mobs attacked foreign-owned businesses around Johannesburg, leaving at least 12 people dead, according to Al Jazeera. The latest killing investigation in Pietermaritzburg has drawn renewed attention to the risks facing migrant communities as the June 30 deadline approaches.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.