Mozambique says five citizens killed in South Africa 'xenophobic attacks'

Demonstrators hold a South African flag as they march during a protest against undocumented migrants organised by the March and March and Operation Dudula groups in Cape Town, on May 23, 2026. [AFP]

Five Mozambique nationals were killed in "xenophobic attacks" in South Africa at the weekend, the Mozambican government said, in the first deaths officially linked to protests against illegal migrants sweeping the country.

Around 800 Mozambican nationals were caught up in the violence that broke out in the southern coastal city of Mossel Bay on Friday, the government press office said in a statement received on Tuesday.

The region has seen protests against illegal migrants similar to demonstrations that have swept South Africa in recent weeks, notably in the financial capital Johannesburg and east coast city of Durban.

"Regrettably, seven Mozambican citizens have died, five of them as a direct consequence of the xenophobic attacks and the other two as a result of a road accident, when they were travelling in a private vehicle on their way back to Mozambique," said the statement.

The violence prompted 300 Mozambicans to return to their country by their own means on Saturday, said the statement issued late Monday.

"The remaining just over 500 have since been sheltered in a safe location in the Western Cape Province, and as of today, 1 June, the process of their repatriation to Mozambique is already underway," it said.

South African police said on Sunday they were investigating the deaths of two men at an informal settlement in Mossel Bay, a port town about 380 kilometres (236 miles) east of Cape Town where xenophobic attacks had been reported.

They did not give details and it was also not immediately clear what nationalities the two men were.

But the area mayor, Dirk Kotze, voiced "deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced".

South Africa, the continent's most industrialised economy, has long been a destination for both legal and undocumented African workers.

It has experienced repeated waves of xenophobic violence over the past decades, with illegal migrants accused of crime and taking jobs from locals.

In 2008, 62 people -- including 21 South Africans -- were killed in anti-immigrant riots and thousands displaced. Further outbreaks followed in 2015 and 2016.

The latest spike in anti-immigrant tensions has been building for months and comes as political parties seek support ahead of local government elections in November.

One citizen-led group has issued an ultimatum for illegal migrants to be expelled by June 30 and there have been reports of groups checking the documentation of foreign nationals and forcing small businesses run by non-South Africans to close.

The action has no official backing and has been criticised by the authorities.

With  tensions building, Ghana flew out 300 of its citizens last week and is planning to take home hundreds more.

Last month several hundred foreign nationals from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Somalia sought protection in the eastern port city of Durban, saying locals were going door-to-door to tell them to leave by the end of the month.

Several African countries -- including Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Lesotho and Zimbabwe -- have meanwhile urged their citizens in South Africa to exercise caution.

The Mozambique government statement said the situation was volatile and expected to worsen ahead of June 30, and it was working on measures to support its nationals still in South Africa.