DURBAN, South Africa — A foreign citizen was beaten to death by a group of about 50 people during a protest march through central Durban, police said Thursday, as anti-immigrant tensions continue to flare in South Africa, The Associated Press reported.
Police said the group approached the man, who was standing at the side of a road during the march, and assaulted him. They did not immediately give his nationality or say what the march was about. The victim was in his 30s or early 40s, and police were still trying to identify suspects, AP reported.
South Africa has endured months of anti-immigration marches calling for action against migrants in the country illegally, some of which have turned violent. Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi and other countries say some of their citizens have been killed; South African authorities have disputed some of those claims.
Durban, the country’s third-largest city, has become a hotspot. In June, thousands of mainly Malawian migrants gathered in a city park seeking repatriation after a protest group demanded undocumented migrants leave by June 30. This month, cars were torched and shops looted in Soweto after a court ruling made it easier for foreigners to claim asylum.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced the violence while acknowledging years of border-control failures. Official figures show about 2.4 million foreign nationals among South Africa’s 62 million people.
Sources: AP
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