The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has condemned the killings of a police officer in Lichtenburg and a foreign national in Durban. The commission said a person’s nationality or immigration status can never be used to justify violence.
SAHRC spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said the police officer was allegedly run over by a non-national outside Lichtenburg Mall in North West on 19 October. The suspect was arrested. He appeared in court on a murder charge and on charges linked to immigration.
“No person is above the law, and no criminal act can be justified by the circumstances or nationality of the person responsible,” Baloyi said.
In a separate case, a non-national was allegedly beaten to death by protesters in the Durban city centre on Thursday, 22 October.
Baloyi said the commission was deeply worried about both incidents. He said the people responsible must be held to account through the criminal justice system.
He said the reported killing in Durban was a grave violation of the right to life and human dignity. The commission said the case needed urgent investigation, accountability and justice. It added that assault is a crime under South African law.
Baloyi said section 11 of the Constitution gives everyone the right to life. He said this applies no matter a person’s nationality, immigration status or country of birth.
“No individual or group has the authority to take the law into their own hands or to deprive another person of life,” Baloyi said.
The commission said people have the right to gather, protest and raise their concerns in a peaceful way. But it said these rights must be used within the law.
“Disagreements about immigration, unemployment, crime or access to public services cannot justify violence against anyone,” the commission said.
Baloyi said the SAHRC had asked the South African Police Service to carry out full investigations. He said police must find those responsible and make sure they face the courts.
The commission also asked law enforcement to take steps to stop more violence and to protect people’s lives and safety.
It called on the Department of Home Affairs to deal with illegal immigration. The commission said this falls under the department’s duty to manage identity, civic status and migration.
The SAHRC asked community leaders, civil society groups and public representatives to reject violence. It said they should promote peaceful talks, social cohesion and respect for human rights.
“The loss of a human life is an irreparable tragedy and, under these circumstances, a travesty of our Constitution,” the commission said.
Baloyi said wider debates about migration should not hide what happened in the Durban killing. He said everyone has the right to equal protection under the law.
“The Commission reiterates that the right to life is non-negotiable and that no person should face violence or death because of their nationality or perceived immigration status,” the commission said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.