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The southern coastal town of Mossel Bay in South Africa witnessed a surge of anti-migrant violence, leaving two Mozambicans dead and forcing hundreds to flee their homes.
Charred shacks and looted dwellings scarred the informal settlement of Giyani, where tensions between South Africans and foreign nationals erupted into deadly attacks.
Locals marked some homes with “I’m taken, Xhosa” to indicate occupation by South Africans from the Xhosa ethnic group, signalling others to leave them untouched. Yet fear and mistrust prevailed.
One South African woman, speaking to AFP and showing her identity document, recounted how she was falsely accused of living with a Shangaan man.
“They said (they are coming) to destroy the house because, ‘you were staying with a Shangaan’. They said they don’t care about IDs,” she said.
Fifty-five homes were destroyed following protests in late May, when locals accused foreign nationals of taking jobs. Many abandoned houses were dismantled or seized by other residents.
South Africa has seen recurring bouts of anti-migrant violence, with protests intensifying this year after vigilante groups ordered undocumented foreigners to leave by June 30. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
Ernest Sithole, staying at a community hall with displaced residents, reported that 17 South Africans were also chased away for speaking Tsonga, a language widely used in Limpopo.
Tragically, a 19-year-old South African was stabbed to death that night. His stepfather, Steve Winston Kamwendo, attributed the killing to ethnic tensions: “I understand they killed my son because of a tribal war,” he told AFP.
Nearly 600 Mozambicans have returned home since the unrest, while around 100 foreign nationals from Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe remain in Mossel Bay under police protection. Authorities report that roughly 400 displaced migrants have sought refuge in nearby towns including Kleinmond, Gansbaai, and Stanford.
The unrest reflects a growing xenophobic campaign across South Africa, where citizen-led groups recently demanded that undocumented foreign nationals leave by June 30.
Ghana, Mozambique, and other nations have begun repatriating their citizens in response to mounting violence.
