Overview
- Police say a man believed to be a foreign national was beaten by a group of about 50 people during a march through Durban’s central business district and was declared dead at the scene.
- The South African Police Service has opened a murder investigation, is following several leads and is using CCTV and other investigative aids to try to identify suspects.
- Authorities have not released the victim’s nationality or a motive, and officers reported CCTV footage showed two males break away from the march and approach the man before he was later found injured on the roadside.
- The killing comes after months of rising anti-immigrant protests and large migrant movements out of South Africa, and neighboring governments have reported citizen deaths that have strained diplomatic relations.
- Police have urged communities not to spread unverified information while the probe continues and the case could increase pressure on security forces and on relations with countries whose citizens have been affected.