South Africa's police have opened a special team to investigate the murder of Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng province leader of the anti‑migrant movement March and March.
Somgxada was shot while standing outside his home east of Johannesburg on an early July morning; he succumbed to the injuries several days later in hospital.
Sandile Dube, a March and March spokesperson, told the BBC that the group believes the killing was retaliation for its campaign, which demanded undocumented migrants leave the country by 30 June and vowed to press weekly marches until its demands were met.
Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane announced a multidisciplinary investigation, underscoring the seriousness with which the police view the case. He pledged a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the murder and accountability for those responsible.
Immigration has become a highly contentious issue in South Africa, where the country has long attracted migrants seeking better economic opportunities. The government says it has already deported or repatriated over 53,000 foreign nationals under a new migration‑management campaign that began five weeks ago.
Recent protests have turned violent, with reports of intimidation, looting and targeted assaults. Police arrested five individuals in Limpopo province for impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave the country. The officers highlighted that the law applies equally to everyone and that no group has the power to conduct immigration inspections.
