Mozambique said five of its citizens were killed during anti-immigration violence in the South African coastal town of Mossel Bay over the weekend, an episode that revived longstanding concern about xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals living and working in the country. The Mozambican authorities said they were seeking information from their South African counterparts about the circumstances.
South Africa is home to large numbers of migrants from neighbouring countries, including Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, many of whom work in farming, services and informal trade. Periodic outbursts of violence directed at these communities have flared for years, often fuelled by competition for jobs and resentment in areas of high unemployment.
The killings in Mossel Bay, a town on the Western Cape's Garden Route, drew condemnation and prompted calls for the perpetrators to be held to account. Diplomatic friction over the treatment of migrants has repeatedly strained relations between South Africa and its neighbours, whose economies are closely tied to the larger country.
South African officials have at times acknowledged the problem and pledged action against those who carry out attacks, while also pointing to pressures on public services and the difficulties of policing informal settlements. Rights groups argue that political rhetoric blaming foreigners for crime and joblessness has helped to inflame tensions.
For Mozambique, whose nationals form one of the largest migrant groups in South Africa, the deaths were a painful reminder of the dangers facing workers who cross the border in search of livelihoods. Remittances sent home by such workers are an important source of income for many families.
The incident was likely to feature in discussions between the two governments, which have previously sought to coordinate on migration and border management. Whether the latest deaths prompt durable measures, or join a long list of attacks that fade from attention, remained to be seen.