Five Mozambicans killed in South Africa anti-migrant attacks

Five Mozambican nationals have been killed in a wave of anti-immigrant violence sweeping through the South African coastal city of Mossel Bay, according to official statements released Tuesday.

The tragedy unfolds amidst intensifying, nationwide protests against undocumented immigration across South Africa. The unrest has struck the migrant community hard, with a Mozambican government report revealing that roughly 800 of its citizens were caught up in Friday's initial outbreak of violence in the Western Cape Province, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The crisis has sparked an immediate mass exodus. Over the weekend, 300 Mozambicans fled Mossel Bay to return home, a journey that tragically claimed two more lives in a fatal car crash during the evacuation. The remaining 500 displaced nationals have been placed in temporary, safe shelters within the Western Cape and are scheduled for emergency repatriation.

While South African local police confirmed they are investigating the deaths of two men at a Mossel Bay informal settlement, authorities have not officially linked those specific casualties to the riots.

South Africa is no stranger to recurring waves of xenophobic violence, which have periodically flared up since 2008. Observers note that this latest, highly volatile spike in anti-migrant protests coincides with rising political tensions ahead of the country's upcoming local government elections this November.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada