At least two Mozambican men have been killed in the South African coastal city of Mossel Bay, some 380 kilometres east of Cape Town, following a wave of xenophobic violence that swept through the area over the weekend. South African police confirmed they are investigating the deaths of the two men, aged 27 and 43, found at an informal settlement on Saturday, though they have not officially stated a motive or confirmed the nationalities of the victims. The Mozambican government, however, was unequivocal in its account, saying five of its citizens had been killed "as a direct consequence of xenophobic attacks" and that around 800 Mozambican nationals were caught up in the violence.

The unrest intensified on Friday when violent disturbances erupted in KwaNonqaba, a settlement in the Mossel Bay area, during which more than 50 shacks were set on fire. Five people have been arrested in connection with the arson. One Mozambican woman, Dolinda Mabunda, told local media that she and her family were still inside their home when the fires started. "They said we should leave or we'll get hurt," she said. Around 300 Mozambicans returned home independently on Saturday, while the remaining 500 were sheltered at a safe location in the Western Cape province ahead of a coordinated repatriation. Two additional deaths were recorded when a vehicle carrying people fleeing to Mozambique was involved in a road accident.

The violence is part of a broader surge in anti-immigrant sentiment across South Africa in recent months. Protest groups, including one called March and March, have issued an unofficial ultimatum demanding that all undocumented migrants leave the country by 30 June, ahead of local elections due later this year. Demonstrators have accused undocumented foreigners of straining public services and contributing to crime — grievances that analysts say are fuelled by South Africa's persistently high unemployment and economic hardship. Braam Hanekom, director of Cape Town non-profit Passop, which supports asylum seekers and refugees, argued that migrants are being used as scapegoats: "It's much easier to find a soft target to express your frustrations, and foreign nationals are the soft target that frustrated communities have chosen to pick on."

The scale of fear spreading through migrant communities has prompted diplomatic responses across the continent. Ghana temporarily suspended new sign-ups for a voluntary repatriation programme after more than 1,500 citizens registered to return home from South Africa, overwhelming the capacity of its high commission in Pretoria. Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe have all advised their citizens in South Africa to remain vigilant. The Mozambican government warned that "given the volatility of the situation, it is expected that the current situation will worsen."

South Africa has faced recurring waves of xenophobic violence since 2008, when dozens of migrants were killed and thousands displaced in attacks across the country. Official figures show the country hosts more than three million foreign nationals, roughly five per cent of the population, though the actual number — including undocumented migrants — is believed to be considerably higher. Research from Wits University's Migrating for Work Research Consortium suggests foreign workers are more likely to take jobs South Africans are unwilling to do, or to start their own businesses, complicating the narrative that they displace local workers. The South African government has condemned "criminal acts" directed at foreign nationals, but has yet to officially confirm that any of the recent deaths were motivated by xenophobia.