LIMPOPO – The family of a Giyani-born teen who was killed during violent unrest in Mossel Bay says they are searching for answers after he was allegedly mistaken for a foreign national because he spoke Xitsonga.

According to the African News Agency, Nhlamulo Sambo (19) died on May 31 in the Asla Park area of KwaNonqaba during a period of violence linked to anti-immigrant tensions in the community.

According to relatives, Sambo was a South African citizen from Giyani and had no connection to the allegations that sparked attacks in the area.

His death has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed concerns about the dangers of mob justice and xenophobia in South Africa.

The family said Sambo was wrongly targeted after community members allegedly assumed he was a foreign national because he spoke Xitsonga.

Sambo’s death comes amid ongoing debate about xenophobia and vigilantism in South Africa, where language, nationality and identity are often at the centre of community tensions.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly warned that anti-foreigner violence frequently affects both foreign nationals and South African citizens who are incorrectly identified as outsiders.

For Sambo’s family, the focus remains on securing justice and bringing his body home for burial.

His mother now faces the financial burden of transporting his remains from the Western Cape to Limpopo while police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

Western Cape police have opened murder cases linked to the unrest.

Community leaders and civil society groups have urged residents across the country to reject violence and allow law enforcement agencies to address concerns through legal channels.