Key facts
- Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, Gauteng province leader of the anti-migrant group March and March, was shot and later died.
- The group believes the killing was retaliation for its campaign against undocumented migrants.
- Other leaders of March and March have reportedly received death threats.
- South Africa has deported over 53,000 foreign nationals in the last five weeks.
- Police have arrested five individuals for impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave.
A special police team has been established to investigate the killing of Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, a provincial leader of the anti-migrant group March and March, who was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg and later died in hospital.
March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube suggested the shooting was a targeted assassination and retaliation for the group's campaign to expel undocumented migrants, noting that other leaders had received death threats. The group had set an unofficial deadline of June 30 for all undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Immigration, particularly undocumented migration, is a highly contentious issue in South Africa, with protesters blaming migrants for straining public services and involvement in crime. The government reported deporting over 53,000 foreign nationals in the past five weeks as part of a 'migration management' campaign.
In a separate incident, five people were arrested in Limpopo province for allegedly impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave. Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane condemned such actions and warned against intimidation and violence towards foreign nationals, emphasizing that no group has the authority to conduct immigration checks or remove people from communities. Dube stated that March and March rejects any form of violence or anti-law actions.