Xenophobia flare-up as hundreds of foreign migrant workers evacuated from Addo after murders

“For many years we have been living in peace,” said Valencia resident Gerald September on Tuesday as he grieved his son Juanne, who was fatally stabbed, allegedly by foreign migrant workers, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“This year, bad people came with the workers. Now we have decided that we won’t want one of them here any more,” said September.

File photo of the murdered Juanne September. (Photo: Supplied)

Read more: Xenophobic violence breaks out in Addo after murder — three dead, 10 injured

Valencia, near Addo, is in the heart of the Sundays River Valley’s citrus district. Every year, thousands of migrant workers, most of them foreign nationals, come to the small town to assist with the citrus harvest.

“People make money when they are here because they are renting hokkies [shacks] and they live in flats and pay rent,” said September. But this year has been different.

“I think bad people came here with the workers,” he said.

“My son was 22. He was an operator at a fruit packhouse. He worked late sometimes, and on Friday he worked late again. He was not someone who went out a lot. Even in the last few months, he was very quiet. He was always at home.

“But on Friday, his brother said he must go out with them. At 10pm, he wanted to come home. But they convinced him to stay,” said September.

The tavern where the fight started that led to the murder of Juanne September. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

Juanne, his brother, Gerano and his cousin Shandre Adonis stayed at the tavern, and in the early hours of the morning a fight broke out. Some community members said it was over a game of pool and that the initial altercation was with a migrant labourer who was not a foreign national.

Gerano September (left) and Shandre Adonis. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

“Juanne was always the one who would try to make peace. I don’t know what happened. But the next thing we heard from the others was that the one guy had a knife, and he was chasing Juanne through the streets. Juanne was shouting for help, and he jumped into someone’s yard and was begging people to help him,” said September.

During the fight, Adonis was also stabbed.

“It is honestly the first time we have a problem with the fruit pickers,” said September.

He said the community became enraged when one of the murder suspects, who had been handed over to the police, was released.

On Sunday, three foreign nationals who lived in Valencia were beaten and stabbed to death. Their identities have not been released.

Emergency assistance

Ali Sablay from Gift of the Givers said they had been providing emergency assistance to the migrant workers who were evacuated for their own safety from Valencia.

“Three foreign nationals were brutally murdered after the death of a local person, sparking xenophobic attacks. Foreign nationals have been given a 24-hour notice to vacate Addo by the local community; the area remains highly tense, with foreign nationals escaping with minimal belongings,” said Sablay.

“Gift of the Givers has been called by the Eastern Cape Provincial Disaster Management team, Sarah Baartman Disaster Management teams, SAPS and local businesses for assistance as over 500 foreign nationals seek refuge at the local police station.

“Arrangements have been made to bus 350 women and children to two local churches in Gqeberha, while the men have been accommodated in Addo. Gift of the Givers teams will provide hot meals, clean drinking water, and baby care bags to the stranded,” he said.

Foreign nationals preparing to leave Valencia on 27 May. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

The chairperson of the Sunday’s River Agri Association, Deon Joubert, said they had not experienced interruptions to their harvests.

Karen Smith from Sundays River Community Services said 129 people had to sleep at the police station on Tuesday night as there was no transport for them.

“I can tell you this, the situation is not under control yet,” she said.

Seasonal workers and their families waiting to be evacuated from Addo. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said, “The situation is still tense, and there is a heavy police presence in the area, with other law enforcement agencies assisting as force multipliers. This morning, at around 6am, there were sporadic groups of people who started burning tyres on the roads, but that situation was dealt with by the Public Order Policing with the assistance of other policing units, who are deployed in the area

“There are arrangements that are being made to accommodate the stranded foreign nationals. Most of them have been accommodated in interim shelters outside Addo.

“Police have also placed a team of detectives to work on the cases that were opened, and as soon as they are finished with the investigation process, the arrests will follow,” said Nkohli.

 

Foreign migrant workers in Valencia on 27 May. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

Some of the hundreds of foreign nationals waiting for transport to leave the area on 27 May. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)

Underlying tensions

The Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) said that South Africa could not continue to ignore the underlying tensions between residents and non-nationals.

“It is imperative that the relevant authorities urgently intervene to address and defuse these tensions through meaningful action and dialogue. South Africa continues to grapple with xenophobic violence and discrimination, and this is supported by the Human Rights Watch World Report 2025. There were 59 documented cases of xenophobic discrimination in 2024, leading to the displacement of 2,946 individuals.

“These figures highlight the ongoing challenges faced by non-nationals within the Republic of South Africa. As CoRMSA’s mission is to promote and protect the human rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in ways that promote the wellbeing of all in South Africa, we urge the community of Addo not to take the law into their own hands.

“We strongly believe that SAPS will take appropriate action to ensure that those responsible for these violent acts are held accountable and brought to justice through the proper legal channels.

“This violence has left scars on countless lives. We must come together to restore our shared humanity and build a future rooted in unity, compassion, and respect for all who call this country home,” said the consortium.

On Tuesday night, Nkohli said no arrests had been made. DM