Keypoints:
- Ekurhuleni leader dies after July 4 shooting
- Movement reports threats against its officials
- More than 53,000 migrants sent home
SOUTH Africa’s March and March movement has confirmed the death of its Ekurhuleni leader, Andile Somgxada, after he was shot outside his home, adding another layer of tension to an already volatile national debate over undocumented migration.
The killing comes as the government intensifies immigration enforcement and anti-migrant demonstrations spread across the country. More than 53,000 African migrants have been deported or voluntarily repatriated within about a month, but authorities have not linked Somgxada’s death to the wider unrest.
Movement reports death threats
Somgxada was shot while leaving his home on July 4 and taken to hospital, where he died on July 9, according to South African state broadcaster SABC News. The movement publicly confirmed his death on July 13.
SABC described the shooting as an alleged assassination but did not report a confirmed motive. March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube separately said leaders of the movement had received death threats over their campaign against undocumented migration.
Dube said threats had been directed at the organisation’s leadership in Ekurhuleni and other parts of South Africa. He argued that members were being targeted for ‘wanting what’s best for South Africans’.
March and March, founded by former radio presenter Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, has become one of the country’s most visible anti-immigration movements. It is demanding stronger border controls, large-scale deportations and priority access for South Africans in schools, employment and public health facilities.
Campaign moves into homes
The movement’s campaign has increasingly moved beyond organised marches. Reuters reported that protesters in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township broke into homes on July 9, removed people suspected of being undocumented migrants and handed them to police.
Among those taken away was a Zimbabwean man who told Reuters that he held a valid Zimbabwean Exemption Permit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has repeatedly warned that private citizens have no authority to conduct immigration checks or enforce migration laws.
More than 53,000 sent home
The Associated Press reported that South Africa had deported or repatriated more than 53,000 African migrants within a month. Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said more than 80 percent were citizens of Malawi.
Officials did not specify how many people were formally deported and how many accepted voluntary repatriation. Migrants from Zimbabwe and Mozambique also accounted for large numbers, while Nigerians, Ugandans and Kenyans were among other nationals affected.
The removals form part of Ramaphosa’s tougher migration crackdown, which includes strengthened border enforcement and heavier penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers.
However, the government rejected a self-declared June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration campaigners for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa. Officials warned that vigilante searches, intimidation and forced removals were unlawful.
Regional pressure increases
Several African governments have provided buses or flights to help citizens return home as fears of attacks have increased.
Mozambique, Nigeria and Ghana have also reported deaths involving their nationals during the unrest, although South African authorities have disputed the alleged connection to anti-migrant protests in some cases.
The crisis is placing further pressure on relations between South Africa and other African countries. It is also creating reputational and commercial risks for South African companies operating across the continent.
Investigation may establish motive
Police findings on the motive and circumstances of Somgxada’s shooting will be crucial in determining whether his death was connected to his activism or resulted from an unrelated dispute.
Until investigators establish the circumstances, descriptions of the killing as an assassination remain allegations rather than confirmed findings.
