A mob of about 50 people has beaten a foreign national to death in Durban, South Africa, amid growing tensions and protests against migrants in the country.
Police said the incident occurred in the city centre on Thursday, alongside a march whose purpose was not immediately established.
According to the police, two men from the group approached the victim, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, as he stood by the roadside.
“It is further alleged that the victim was then assaulted by a group of about 50 people and he was declared dead at the scene,” a police statement said.
The victim’s nationality and the motive behind the killing remain unknown.
Durban, a major port city in South Africa, has witnessed months of demonstrations against foreign nationals, with tensions escalating into violence and looting following an anti-migrant march two weeks ago.
On Wednesday, drivers working with e-hailing services staged a march in the same area, involving the March and March movement, which has organised protests against illegal migrants across the country for several months.
Two weeks ago, soldiers were deployed to central Durban as police struggled to contain two days of rioting and looting directed at foreign nationals.
Fourteen vehicles were set ablaze, while several businesses were looted or torched.
The latest incident comes amid a wider wave of anti-migrant protests that earlier this year forced tens of thousands of nationals from other African countries to flee South Africa.
