Illustrative image: Eighteen-year-old South African Nhlamulo Sambo (18) was stabbed to death amid the xenophobic attacks in Mossel Bay, Eastern Cape. (Photo: Supplied)
Three people, including two Mozambicans and a South African, were killed in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, over a weekend that erupted in violent protests against foreign nationals.
On Friday, 29 May, the SAPS said they had to respond to sporadic incidents of violence in the Asla Park informal settlement of KwaNonqaba, following anti-migrant protests.
The violence led to about 55 shacks being set alight. Police, assisted by fire services and disaster management teams, were able to contain the mayhem.
In the early hours of Saturday, officers were called to a scene where the body of a 27‑year‑old man was discovered with multiple injuries after an apparent assault.
Shortly afterwards, the SAPs found a second severely injured 43-year-old man who was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the two were from Mozambique.
Police are investigating and have not released details.
Nhlamulo Sambo killing
In another incident, the SAPS were called to the New Rest informal settlement at about 3am on Sunday, where the body of an 18‑year‑old South African man, Nhlamulo Sambo, was found outside a shack with stab wounds.
“Paramedics pronounced him dead at 3.19am,” the police said.
There is confusion over whether Sambo was the mistaken victim of a xenophobic attack or was a criminal, whose intended victim got the better of him.
According to police, Sambo, with a 15-year-old friend, had tried steal from a shack. He was, however, caught by an occupant, who stabbed and killed him.
Detectives are looking for a known suspect.
However, Sambo’s family tell a different version of events.
Speaking to Daily Maverick on Tuesday, 2 June, Sambo’s family denied he was attempting to commit theft.
‘Tribalism’
Nomsa Sambo, the deceased’s aunt, said police seemed determined to cover up the fact that tribalism-fuelled attacks happened in Mossel Bay, which had been “ramped up by the ongoing marches against foreign nationals”.
She said Sambo’s mother, who was visiting the area at the time, arrived at the scene of her son’s murder shortly after his death, and no police officials had been present .
Nomsa said her sister and Sambo had told her how they had been picked on by the community in Mossel Bay, who had labelled them as Shangaans, and told them that they were not welcome in the area. Sambo and his mother were originally from Giyani, Limpopo.
Nomsa Sambo believes that her nephew was killed by anti-foreigner protesters because he was not from the area.
“The other stories that are out there are a complete lie,” Nomsa said. “He was killed because he was of Tsonga descent. He was killed out of hate for his skin colour.”
Nomsa said Sambo’s mother had helped him get his own shack, which was owned by a foreign national.
“She got him a shack belonging to a foreign national who was one of those driven out of the area during the violence,” Sambo said.
On the night Nhlamulo was killed, Nomsa said that Sambo had gone to sleep in the new shack with a 15-year-old local Xhosa boy whom he had known from the area.
The 15-year-old has reportedly confirmed that Sambo was committing a crime when he was murdered.
“This cannot be correct,” Nomsa said. “My nephew was never involved in any of those things. He was an aspiring police officer and soccer player.”
She added, “We know that the boy is not telling the truth regarding what happened. My nephew and sister had long been threatened in that area for the single fact that they were Tsonga, and they were told on many occasions that they were not wanted.”
Attacks condemned
In a statement on Tuesday, the Western Cape provincial government condemned the violent attacks.
“Government condemns the violent clashes that occurred over the weekend in Mossel Bay and sends its deepest condolences to families of those who lost their lives,” it said.
The government urged citizens to seek information only from credible, verified sources, and to avoid circulating unverified claims that risked fuelling panic and confusion.
“Government calls on members of the public to address all concerns relating to crime and undocumented migration through lawful and legal processes, and not through violence, intimidation or attacks on individuals based on nationality, ethnicity, language or cultural identity.” DM