Xenophobic violence breaks out in Addo after murder — three dead, 10 injured

Daily Maverick

26-05-2025

The acting Provincial Commissioner of the Eastern Cape, Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso's office confirmed on Monday morning that additional members from specialised units were deployed to Addo after revenge attacks — sparked by the murder of a young man — left three people dead and at least 10 others seriously injured. WARNING FOR SENSITIVE READERS: Disturbing images of the deceased are shown later in this story
Three foreign nationals were murdered in revenge attacks in Addo after a violent protest was sparked by the killing of a young South African man over the weekend, the police said on Monday morning, 26 May 2025.
'It is believed that these unlawful acts of revenge attacks began with an incident, in which a local resident was allegedly murdered following a fight between a group of local residents and foreign nationals outside a tavern on Saturday, 24 May,' said police spokesperson Captain Majola Nkholi.
He said that after the murder, local community members mobilised and randomly attacked foreign nationals in the area.
Thousands of foreigners are currently in the Kirkwood and Addo areas because of the citrus picking season.
'The situation is now under control. Police have deployed members from various specialised units and are maintaining a heavy police presence in the area. Police are investigating four counts of murder (including the first murder of the young man), and 10 counts of attempted murder. The arrests are imminent,' he said.
Kupiso appealed for calm and urged community leaders to help with engagement with the affected community.
Councillor Karen Smith from Community Services in the Sundays River Valley Municipality said a meeting would be held at 5pm to find a way forward.
'Extreme violence'
Sundays River Local Municipality mayor, Solethu Lucas said there had been an outbreak of 'extreme violence'.
'This scourge of violence has fatalities and continuous criminal activities. The SAPS, ambulances services and fire services have been dispatched to Valencia in Addo; we are pleading for a ceasefire and peace as we are dealing with the matter working with the SAPS and other security services to restore peace.
'We urge our communities to refrain from any acts of violence as we are dealing with this matter as local authorities.'
Smith added that she had never seen anything like it in Addo.
'I first heard about it at around 5pm when the ambulances asked for help as they could not get into Valencia. We spoke to the police and they told me that the Public Order Policing Unit was already on its way.
'Two men were murdered in the streets,' Smith said. 'Others had to be carried through the bushes to the ambulances.'
She confirmed that the violence was triggered by a fight at a shebeen in the township in which a 21-year-old man was murdered. This young man's brother, who was also attacked, is still in an Intensive Care Unit. The incident happened on Saturday night.
By Sunday mob justice had claimed the lives of three men, understood to be Zimbabweans, who were stabbed and beaten to death.
Smith said another 10 dockets had been opened for cases of attempted murder.
'There are more than a hundred people currently hiding in the Kirkwood Police Station,' she said. 'The women of the Sundays River Valley are making sure they at least have something to eat.'
'Xenophobia'
Smith added that they would ask to perhaps move the foreigners to another site. She said that the incident was a mob justice attack that 'morphed into xenophobia'.
'I want to say that the police have been amazing,' she said. She added that seven men who were injured in the attacks had been discharged from hospital, and that the police were looking for them so they could take statements.
But despite the violence, Smith said they had managed to get the workers who picked citrus fruit to their jobs this morning.
'We had to warn that buses must be removed from the township as there were threats that these would be burned,' she said,
According to the Eastern Cape Department of Health's official Emergency Services Report, nine patients were treated at about 7pm on Sunday. These included men with head and facial injuries, and some with severe head injuries. Three men were found dead on arrival of the ambulance. DM