Police have dismissed claims that an 18-year-old Limpopo teenager killed in Mossel Bay was targeted because he was mistaken for a foreign national during recent anti-immigration unrest in the area.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile visited KwaNonqaba on Tuesday following violent incidents that left two Mozambican nationals dead and several shacks destroyed in the Asla Park informal settlement over the weekend.
Speaking after receiving a briefing from local police, Patekile said social media reports linking the death of the teenager to xenophobic violence were false.
According to police, the teenager was found with stab wounds at the New Rest informal settlement in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Investigators were informed by a 15-year-old companion that the pair had allegedly broken into a shack intending to steal when the occupant returned home and discovered them.
The younger boy reportedly hid inside the shack while the 18-year-old fled. The shack owner allegedly chased after him, caught him and stabbed him. The teenager was declared dead at the scene.
Patekile said the killing was linked to the alleged housebreaking incident and not to the victim’s language or nationality.
“In other words, we refute claims that the deceased person was killed because he spoke Tsonga in a Xhosa-dominated area,” he said.
Police have since arrested a 23-year-old suspect in connection with the murder. He is expected to appear in court on a charge of murder.
The commissioner also sought to clarify reports that four people had been killed during the unrest, saying police records reflect two murders.
The victims were Mozambican nationals, aged 27 and 43, whose deaths are being investigated separately by detectives.
Patekile warned that misinformation circulating on social media was fuelling fear and uncertainty in communities already affected by violence.
“The spread of false information creates unnecessary panic and anxiety,” he said, urging residents and community leaders to verify information before sharing it.
Police remain on high alert in KwaNonqaba and neighbouring Tembalethu, with members of the George Public Order Police unit deployed to assist in stabilising the area. SAPS is also working alongside municipal disaster management teams and other agencies through the Joint Operational Centre.
Five arrests have so far been made in connection with Friday’s violence. Two suspects charged with public violence appeared in court on Monday and were granted bail of R1,000 each, while three others arrested for possession of suspected stolen property were expected to appear in court.
Authorities say they will continue monitoring the situation to ensure calm and order are restored in the affected communities.
