South Africa Witnesses Surge in Xenophobic Violence, Leaving Multiple Foreign Nationals Dead

A recent wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa has resulted in the deaths of five Mozambican nationals, as well as a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi businessman. The Mozambican government confirmed that the five nationals were killed in the violence that erupted in the southern coastal city of Mossel Bay on Friday. Approximately 800 Mozambican nationals were affected by the violence, with 300 choosing to return to their home country on Saturday. According to a government statement, 'Regrettably, seven Mozambican citizens have died, five of them as a direct consequence of the xenophobic attacks and the other two as a result of a road accident when they were travelling in a private vehicle on their way back to Mozambique.' The remaining 500 individuals have been relocated to a safe location in the Western Cape province, where the process of repatriation to Mozambique is underway. The area's mayor, Dirk Kotze, expressed 'deep concern and dismay at the current xenophobic attacks where people have been murdered, houses burned and families displaced.' In a separate incident, a 30-year-old Pakistani vegetable supplier, Naeem Hassan, was fatally attacked on Monday while attempting to remove his truck from a yard in Vereeniging. Additionally, a 40-year-old Bangladeshi businessman, Zumur Kormokar, was shot dead during an armed robbery at his shop in Nquutu, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday. The suspects reportedly stole money and other items before fatally shooting Kormokar.