Police in South Africa have confirmed that a foreign national was beaten to death by a mob of approximately 50 people in Durban's central business district on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The attack occurred on the sidelines of a march, and the victim, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, was declared dead at the scene.
Details of the Attack
According to a police statement, the man was standing by the roadside when two men from the group approached him. A larger group of about 50 people then assaulted him. The victim has not been identified, and police have opened a murder case. They have not disclosed the victim's nationality or a motive for the attack.
A provincial police spokesperson said officers could not speculate on the motive and would share more details once verified. Police did not say what the march was about. However, AFP reported that drivers of e-hailing services had marched in the same area on Wednesday, in a demonstration involving the March and March movement, which has mobilised protests against illegal migrants across the country for months.
Context of Anti-Immigrant Protests
The killing follows months of anti-immigrant protests in South Africa, some of which have turned violent. Earlier this month, shops and cars were set on fire in Durban and in Soweto, near Johannesburg. Soldiers were deployed to central Durban on October 10 after two days of rioting in which at least 14 vehicles were burned and foreign-owned businesses were looted or torched.
Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi, and other countries have had some of their citizens killed in xenophobic attacks linked to the anti-immigration protests. South African authorities have disputed some of those claims, saying some deaths were related to criminal activity and not the protests.
Impact on Nigerian Citizens
In September, at least 12 Nigerians had been killed in South Africa since the start of 2026. Nigeria's Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, said around 112 Nigerians had been killed since 2022, with 32 of them killed by members of South African security forces. The Federal Government condemned the deaths of three Nigerians in separate incidents in September and demanded thorough, transparent, and expeditious investigations.
The nationality of the Durban victim had not been disclosed at the time of filing. Police are still working to identify suspects, and the murder case remains open.
