Mob Beats Foreign National To Death In South Africa

A mob of about 50 people has beaten a foreign national to death in South Africa’s port city of Durban, a flashpoint for anti-migrant sentiment, police have said.

The attack occurred on Thursday in the city centre, on the sidelines of a march, although the police could not immediately establish the purpose of the demonstration.

According to a police statement, two men from the group approached a man believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s who was standing by the roadside.

“It is further alleged that a group of about 50 people then assaulted the victim and he was declared dead at the scene,” the statement said.

The nationality of the deceased and the motive for the attack were not immediately known.

The incident comes amid months of protests against foreign nationals in Durban, with tensions escalating into looting and violence in recent weeks.

Drivers working with e-hailing services also marched in the same area on Wednesday as part of a demonstration by the March and March movement, which has mobilised protests against illegal migrants across South Africa.

Two weeks ago, soldiers were deployed to central Durban as police struggled to contain two days of rioting and looting targeting foreign nationals.

Fourteen vehicles were set ablaze, while businesses were looted or torched during the unrest.

The violence echoed weeks of protests earlier in the year that forced tens of thousands of nationals from other African countries to flee South Africa.