Police Launch Specialized Team to Probe Killing of Anti-Migrant Advocate in Gauteng

JOHANNESBURG - Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane announced Tuesday evening that the South African Police Service has assembled a specialized multidisciplinary team to investigate the shooting death of Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng province leader of anti-migrant advocacy group March and March. Somgxada was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month and died several days later in hospital.

Dimpane framed the investigation as a matter of serious concern for law enforcement. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” she said in her statement. The formation of a dedicated unit signals the police service’s assessment of the case’s gravity and the need for coordinated investigative effort.

The killing has sharpened scrutiny of anti-migrant activism across South Africa. Sandile Dube, a spokesperson for March and March, told the BBC that the organization views the shooting as retaliation for its campaign to pressure undocumented migrants to leave the country. Dube characterized the incident as appearing to be “an orchestrated hitman type of killing” and noted that other leaders within the movement had recently received death threats. He called on authorities to investigate both the murder and what he described as intimidation directed at the organization.

Meanwhile, Dimpane issued a formal warning to those engaging in vigilante enforcement of immigration rules. “The law applies equally to everyone,” she stated. “No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities.” The warning followed the arrest of five people in Limpopo province on Tuesday for allegedly impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding that foreign nationals leave the country. Police said the suspects intimidated a Nigerian national who was legally in South Africa and forced him to close his business.

The arrests and the warning together mark a clear assertion of regulatory authority. No private group, the police service has made plain, holds enforcement powers over immigration status.

The incident unfolds against an escalating political and social conflict over immigration. March and March has been organizing anti-migrant demonstrations nationwide and established an unofficial deadline of 30 June for undocumented migrants to depart, promising weekly marches until its demands are met. Protesters have argued that undocumented migrants strain public services and contribute to crime.

The South African government launched a “migration management” campaign five weeks ago, reporting that more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since the initiative began. Several countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, have organized return flights and buses for their citizens. On Wednesday, the final flight under Nigeria’s voluntary repatriation scheme landed in Lagos with 306 passengers, bringing the total number of Nigerians who have returned home under the program to more than 1,200.

When asked about allegations that anti-migrant protesters have treated foreign nationals violently, Dube said March and March rejected “any form of violence” and “any form of anti-law” conduct. The organization maintains a distinction between its advocacy campaign and unlawful actions carried out by others.

Xenophobia has long been a documented issue in South Africa, Africa’s wealthiest nation, which has historically attracted migrants seeking economic opportunity. The current demonstrations have been marked by violence, intimidation, and looting. Official figures show more than three million documented foreign nationals reside in South Africa, a count that does not include those present without legal authorization.

Whether the specialized investigative team’s findings will clarify the chain of responsibility behind Somgxada’s killing, and whether those findings prompt any formal review of how anti-migrant organizing intersects with unlawful enforcement, remains the central accountability question now before the police service.