Another Anti-Immigrant Activist Shot Dead in South Africa.
The killing of March and March Gauteng leader Andile Somgxada comes weeks after the death of activist Thato Molosankwe, raising tensions in the country.
A second anti-immigrant activist has been killed in South Africa within weeks, heightening concerns over the country’s ongoing tensions surrounding undocumented migration.
Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng province leader of the anti-immigration movement March and March, was shot outside his home in Greenfield, Johannesburg, on July 4 . He was rushed to hospital, where he fought for his life until he was pronounced dead on July 9.
The shooting happened just days after the group’s nationwide protests on June 30, during which marchers had set an unofficial deadline for all undocumented migrants to leave the country.
South African authorities have assembled a multidisciplinary team of seasoned detectives and crime intelligence officers to lead the investigation into Somgxada’s murder.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, in consultation with Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, announced the team’s appointment . The police have strongly condemned the attack and promised to leave no stone unturned in ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.
“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” Dimpane said in a statement.
The movement believes Somgxada was targeted because of its campaign against undocumented migrants. National spokesperson Sandile Dube described it as “a retaliation” and said other leaders had recently received warnings or death threats.
“This seems like an orchestrated hitman type of killing,” Dube told the BBC’s Newsday programme, urging authorities to get to the bottom of the matter.
Dube claimed that the threats come from people who benefit from extortion and the collection of protection fees from undocumented foreign nationals operating illegal businesses . He said the movement’s Tshwane regional leader received warning messages following a march in Mamelodi on July 9, and similar threats had been received in Umlazi township in KwaZulu-Natal and in Mpumalanga province.
Despite the killing, March and March has promised to intensify its Thursday marches across the country, particularly in Gauteng, where it claims there is strong resistance and a high concentration of undocumented foreign nationals.
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“We call upon South Africans to stand up in defence of their country against drug cartels, extortionists disguised as security companies, drug dealers and human trafficking agents whose businesses are being disrupted by these continuous marches,” Dube said.
A memorial service for Somgxada is expected to be held in Gauteng later this week, while his funeral will take place in the Eastern Cape, subject to confirmation by his family.
The latest killing comes after the death of Thato Molosankwe, a community activist and traditional healer in North West province . Molosankwe was shot dead at his home in Lomanyaneng village, Mahikeng, in May . He was known for speaking out against criminality and raising concerns about undocumented foreign nationals in the province.
ActionSA strongly condemned Molosankwe’s murder and called on law enforcement to act swiftly . The killing has been linked to anti-foreigner sentiment, with some speculating it intensified recent demonstrations against migrants.
The South African government has said more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since it launched a migration management campaign five weeks ago . More than 80% of those sent home were from Malawi.
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Meanwhile, the police have issued a warning to individuals and groups who continue to intimidate, harass, and perpetrate violence against foreign nationals.
“The law applies equally to everyone. No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities,” Dimpane said.
On Tuesday, five people were arrested in Limpopo province for allegedly impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave the country. The police said the incident involved a Nigerian national who was legally in South Africa.
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