Mossel Bay Teen’s Killing Sparks Xenophobia Debate as Police Version Casts Doubt on Motive

• Conflicting reports continue to swirl around the killing of 19-year-old Nhlamulo Sambo in Mossel Bay
• Police have confirmed that the teenager was fatally stabbed but did not confirm that xenophobia was the cause of the killing
• His family alleges he was targeted during anti-foreigner unrest because he spoke Xitsonga, widespread debate on social media

WESTERN CAPE - The killing of 19-year-old Nhlamulo Sambo in Mossel Bay has ignited a fierce debate on social media, with conflicting accounts emerging about the circumstances surrounding his death.

While some social media users claim Sambo was targeted during anti-foreigner unrest because he spoke Xitsonga, police have maintained that investigations are underway;and that the teenager was stabbed during an altercation with another man.

Police confirm stabbing of teen, investigation is underway

Reports from IOL indicate that according to Western Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies, Sambo was stabbed to death in KwaNonqaba, Mossel Bay, on Sunday, 31 May.

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Spies said officers responded to reports of a stabbing and found the 19-year-old with a stab wound to the chest.

He was declared dead by paramedics on the scene. The suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested.

Police have opened a murder case, and investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killing are ongoing.

See post from IOL here:

Family says teen was killed for speaking Xitsonga

Sambo's family, however, believes he was killed during unrest allegedly linked to anti-foreigner sentiment in the area.

In a video circulating online, his mother, Nkateko Sambo, said her son was attacked after being mistaken for a foreign national because he spoke Tsonga and the family was from Giyani, Limpopo.

The grieving mother also appealed for financial assistance to help transport her son's body back to Limpopo, where he is expected to be buried on Saturday.

His sister, Nonhlanhla Sambo, echoed similar claims in a Facebook post, alleging that her brother was forcibly removed from a house where he had been sleeping with a friend before being attacked.

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Police have not confirmed the family's allegations and have not publicly linked the murder to xenophobic violence.

Social media debate intensifies

As investigations continue, the tragedy has fuelled wider discussions about xenophobia, identity and anti-illegal immigration activism in South Africa.

@ThandoAfrika said:

"No one should be murdered because of nationality. Even if he had been from Zimbabwe his murder is wrong and unjustifiable."

@BrilliantJZwide wrote:

"The police never confirmed that the xenophobic attack speculation was a lie, they are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing."

@tamaracanham stated:

"Police reports say he was involved in an altercation with another man it mentions nothing about protests. Let us wait for more evidence from the police."

@Jewels_MsJay remarked:

This is what happens when you allow ignorant thugs like JacintaNgobese, Phakhel mthakhathi and Ngizwe Mchunu run your country."

@Ben504980631783 said:

"Sounds like a sad case of provocation. Speaking Tsonga during protests is sadly how they got there, but the country is not there. 50million South Africans did not kill that boy."

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Viral cash-in-transit guard confrontation sparks xenophobia debate

Previously, Briefly News reported that the anti-illegal immigration debate gained further momentum after another video went viral showing a confrontation involving a cash-in-transit guard and a Zulu-speaking man. In the clip, the man repeatedly demands identification from the guard, apparently questioning his nationality based on how he spoke.The video also caught the attention of award-winning singer Makhadzi, who initially reshared it on social media. In her post, she expressed concern that Venda-speaking South Africans could be mistakenly targeted or profiled as foreigners because of how they speak isiZulu.

Source: Briefly News