Five Mozambican nationals were killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the Mozambican government said on June 2, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Another two Mozambican citizens died in a road accident while returning home, bringing the total deaths related to the unrest to seven [1, 2, 3].
The violence erupted in Mossel Bay on May 30, involving about 800 Mozambican nationals caught up in anti-migrant attacks [4, 1, 2, 3]. The unrest followed violent incidents in the KwaNonqaba settlement on May 29, where over 50 shacks were set on fire, and five arrests were reported [4]. Mossel Bay Mayor Dirk Kotze expressed "deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced" [1].
South African police confirmed investigating the deaths of two men in Mossel Bay on May 31 but did not confirm their nationalities or link the deaths explicitly to the protests [4, 1, 2, 3]. This contrasts with Mozambican officials who reported five deaths from xenophobic violence [4, 1, 2, 3].
Following the violence, approximately 300 Mozambicans returned home on May 31, while about 500 remained sheltered in a safe location in the Western Cape and were being repatriated as of June 1 [4, 1, 2, 3]. Several African countries have advised their citizens to be vigilant amid rising anti-foreign sentiment in South Africa [4, 1].
Anti-migrant protests and xenophobic violence have increased across South Africa ahead of the November local elections, including calls to expel undocumented immigrants by the end of June [4, 1, 2, 3]. South African authorities continue to investigate the ongoing unrest.
The Mozambican government’s official report on June 2 clarified the numbers of deaths and current repatriations as the situation remains tense [1, 2, 3].
