A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Nhlamulo Sambo, a Grade 9 learner originally from Dzingidzingi village outside Giyani, who was fatally stabbed in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape.
Sambo was killed in the early hours of Sunday, 31 May, during violent unrest in the Kwanonqaba township, where tensions linked to undocumented foreign nationals escalated into chaos that left several people dead and hundreds displaced.
Western Cape police confirmed the arrest on Tuesday. The suspect is expected to appear in court soon on a charge of murder. Police have also indicated that preliminary investigations suggest Sambo’s death was not directly linked to anti-immigrant violence. Sambo’s family, however, maintains that he was killed as a result of the unrest targeting foreign nationals in the area.
Nonhlanhla Sambo, the victim’s sister, said the family was devastated by his death, describing it as a sudden and brutal loss that has left them shattered.
Greater Giyani Municipality Mayor Thandi Zitha visited the Sambo family in Dzingidzingi village on Tuesday to offer condolences following the young man’s death.
During the visit, Zitha condemned the killing, describing it as a barbaric act that must be universally condemned. “The loss of a young life in such a violent manner is deeply painful. We stand with the Sambo family during this difficult time and call for justice to take its course,” she said.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile said investigators believe the murder may have stemmed from a separate incident that occurred during the unrest.
“Regardless of the motive, violence against fellow residents cannot be tolerated,” he said.
The unrest in Kwanonqaba left a trail of destruction in its wake, with more than 50 shacks destroyed and hundreds of people displaced. Two Mozambican nationals were also killed during the violence.