"He Was South African!" Social Media Explodes After Tsonga Boy's Death😱😥🇿🇦

Added: 2026-06-06

[00:00:00]Imagine waking up, opening your phone, and seeing a story so disturbing that it immediately divides social media. A young South African man is reportedly mistaken for a foreign national during a protest, attacked, and loses his life.

[00:00:13]Suddenly, people across the country are asking a difficult question. If we start judging people based on how they look, speak, or where we assume they come from, where does it end? That is exactly why this story sparked such emotional reactions online. But before we break it down, let's listen to what the people had to say. Don't forget to subscribe, like, comment, and share. Now, let's get back to the video.

[00:01:12]>> Tsonga people, Tsonga people, Tsonga people of the world, whichever part of the country you are in, this is for you.

[00:01:21]Turns out we are not safe anymore in South Africa.

[00:01:24]I'm taking this Mkhaya mina, my homeboy, was killed like a dog because they confused this person to be a foreigner in South Africa.

[00:01:34]The strike that is happening recently.

[00:01:37]We are not safe. I don't know what's going to happen next, but we need justice for this boy. I am so heartbroken. I am so scared because something similar happened to me before I got the car, and I'm glad I even I have it on chat. I told my husband that I'm in this I'm inside this Uber, and this guy, before I got inside, he asked me if I'm Zulu or from outside the country. And then when I told him that I'm no, I'm not from outside the country and I'm not Zulu, he was like, "Which which language do you speak?" I'm like, "I'm Tsonga." He's like, "Yeah, which Tsonga? Am I Tsonga ne? I'm I'm a kwerekwere." Like that's what he said.

[00:02:10]And my husband was like, "No, please do not mention that you are married from this country and do not mention anything. Just tell him that ah no, sorry my brother, just take me wherever that I'm going."

[00:02:21]And I was feeling uncomfortable throughout the the the trip because this typical Zulu man kept talking and talking and talking about how bad this thing is going to get, how much he is willing to do that and that and that to make sure that every ikwerekwere in the country goes.

[00:02:38]But now, I'm taking this video.

[00:02:41]My brother, I'm going to say my brother because he's Tsonga, I'm Tsonga, was killed like a dog because they confused this person to be a foreigner.

[00:02:52]So, and this baby what needs to be done now? What do we do now? What do we do? What do you do?

[00:02:59]Hm? What's going to happen now?

[00:03:02]I was never going to take a video concerning all these things, but it's really getting out of hand. And I'm also feeling uncomfortable because my my my little brother is somewhere in in in Johannesburg. What if the same thing happens to him?

[00:03:16]What if the same thing happens to him?

[00:03:18]They they they they they ask him to speak and then he starts speaking in Tsonga and then they're like, "No, now now we kwerekwere." And then they kill him.

[00:03:26]Tsonga people, what do we do?

[00:03:29]What do we do?

[00:03:31]I I'm so angry. I like oh, I'm [snorts] boiling right now. I don't even know what to do.

[00:03:37]The way I'm I'm I'm sure this video will make a whole a whole lot of nothing.

[00:03:43]Like maybe zero cents.

[00:03:45]But what do we do now? Our brother was killed because they they confused them to be a foreigner.

[00:03:53]What should happen now? What should happen?

[00:03:56]My heart is literally racing. Exactly a minute after I uploaded a video about the marginalization of Tsonga and Venda people, I come across this post. For those of you who cannot read or understand Tsonga, let me translate this horrendous post to you. A young Tsonga lady made a post on Facebook stating that her brother was unfairly targeted during a March and March protest in Eastern Cape where he was fatally stabbed, which led to his death simply because he is Tsonga. The victim was a 19-year-old Tsonga boy from Limpopo who was unfairly targeted. Due to his darker complexion, he was confused for a foreigner and then stabbed to death. If nothing is done now, if nothing is done now, let me tell you something. This thing isn't going to be just about foreigners. This is going to be a war amongst ourselves. I am currently livid to hear of such news. And even if this child were a foreigner, why are people from March and March stabbing people?

[00:05:01]>> [music] >> Why are they stabbing them? Why are they killing them? Is this what March and March is? The people who are doing this are taking away from the real cause of this whole movement. Because if things are like this now, everything that we are currently fighting for in this country [music] will go down the drain.

[00:05:18]You guys are starting a fire which I feel unfortunately cannot be put out.

[00:05:23]To Miss Jasinta Zuma, I think this is my second video that I'm making taking [music] you. Please pick on this before it becomes a wider issue than it already is. Limpopo people, Tsonga people, Venda people, we are scared and we fear for our safety during this protest. What will be done to ensure our safety? This is not what we believe March and March is about. Why are the people of South Africa being harmed during this whole thing? Why are we dying? I am someone who stands for the cause of March and March in terms of illegal immigration.

[00:05:52]However, I cannot stand for the victimization of my people. What will be done to ensure our safety during this whole protest? Let's speak on this before it becomes a wider, bigger issue which we all cannot contain.

[00:06:04]Justice for justice for this young Limpopo boy, for this young South African boy. This is not a time to turn a blind eye. We need to do something before it becomes bigger than what it is.

[00:06:16]>> Our brothers in Nigeria, in Zambia, in Namibia, everywhere else, they've got a right to work here in South Africa. In the same way they've got a right to work in their own countries, but preference will always be given to locals including with South Africans themsel- among South Africans themselves.

[00:06:37]I'm not going to be part of stoning my brother.

[00:06:43]>> [music] >> Stone an own brother.

[00:06:46]And then went from the [music] car and said these people are are are selling drugs >> [music] >> and then you steal things from them.

[00:06:56]And then I must come and join that.

[00:06:59]>> [music] >> I'm not going to do that. Someone says on Twitter, "No, leave this thing. We want you to be president. This thing's going to cause votes." I'm like, "It's You can go with those things of president."

[00:07:11]>> [music] >> I must be a president of thugs, of criminals >> [music] >> who beat up people. When you are done with Nigerians, when you are done with Mozambicans and Zimbabweans and Zambians, you are going to go for Shanghais from Giyani. I have to stop you now before you come to me.

[00:07:31]>> [music] >> Now, some of us can't even talk in our language.

[00:07:35]They're going to ask us to make certain pronouncements in their language and we can't pronou- eh-heh.

[00:07:41]Why? Back to Limpopo.

[00:07:45]We are going TO BE VICTIMS.

[00:07:47]CELEBRATE and be happy.

[00:07:49]And say the nonsense you are saying about foreigners and Nigerians. Go on. When they are done, they are coming for you.

[00:07:58]>> [music] >> They will say, "No, the reason we don't have jobs here is because of these Zulus.

[00:08:05]They must go back to Natal.

[00:08:06]>> [music] >> We don't have jobs here. It's these Xhosas. They must go back to Eastern Cape.

[00:08:11]>> [music] >> They They don't have jobs here. It is these Pedis here.

[00:08:15]It is these Vendas. Back.

[00:08:18]>> [music] >> Because there will be no foreigner to fight.

[00:08:22]But poverty will remain.

[00:08:24]>> [music] >> Hunger will remain. The inequality will remain.

[00:08:30]I said the other time, bring all the buses, let's put all these Nigerians and Zimbabweans in buses. Let's take them back.

[00:08:39]And let's see if you will get an employment tomorrow.

[00:08:42]>> [music] >> It is not a Nigerian.

[00:08:46]It is not a Zimbabwean that killed [music] Winile.

[00:08:52]It is us, South African men.

[00:08:55]>> [music] >> It is us who are committing violent crimes against our women.

[00:09:00]>> [music] >> The problem is with us. Let's solve it.

[00:09:05]Where there is crime, crime has got no nationality.

[00:09:10]Crime has [music] got no color.

[00:09:13]Crime is crime. It must be punishable.

[00:09:16]>> [music] >> Don't tell me, "No, Nigerians must stop selling drugs here." Nigerians must stop selling drugs even in Nigeria.

[00:09:23]>> [music] >> If they are selling drugs, not necessarily South African drugs. They go all over [music] the continent. No, we don't want them here. If you don't want them here, >> [music] >> they are not going to allow South African truck drivers to come into their countries. [music] Therefore, these trucks, even if they are South Africans, they won't have business.

[00:09:44]>> [music] >> Go on, bloody fool.

[00:09:47]Go on.

[00:09:48]And destroy your own economy out of stupidity.

[00:09:52]You don't want truck drivers who comes from other nations.

[00:09:56]These are cross-border trucks.

[00:10:00]Ordinarily, in that business, >> [music] >> you get different nationalities.

[00:10:07]It's like that.

[00:10:09]>> [music] >> It's It's like that.

[00:10:12]So, why are you engaged in such stupidity? [music] Please.

[00:10:17]South African men were made to run in Zambia while driving trucks now.

[00:10:23]Because they were told, "Our people are being butchered and beaten [music] in your country." Stop it. If you want the continent >> [music] >> to treat you properly, stop what you are doing.

[00:10:34]Stop it. So, we're saying to our fellow African brothers and sisters, it's not all of us.

[00:10:42]>> [music] >> Majority of us, we know that we are not South Africans.

[00:10:51]We are Africans.

[00:10:53]>> [music] >> There's nothing special about South Africa. There is no South Africa and African continent. We are African [music] continent ourselves. And therefore, we make no apology >> [music] >> to side with the victims of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks, >> [music] >> because we see ourselves in them.

[00:11:16]And therefore, you should Please, we know that you are you you [music] you're feeling pain.

[00:11:23]We know that you are angry.

[00:11:26]>> [music] >> But it is not all of us. And we are dealing with that problem here in South Africa. [music] Don't hate all of us.

[00:11:34]We are with you.

[00:11:36]We support the positions you've taken as African artist, >> [music] >> as recognizable individuals, as sports personalities.

[00:11:46][music] We understand your anger and we support it.

[00:11:51]But please, don't [music] brush all of us with the same brush of xenophobia and Afrophobia [music] and self-hatred. We love ourselves in the EFF.

[00:12:04]>> [music] >> And we see Africans as a mirror to show [music] us of how we look like.

[00:12:13]We see ourselves through those people.

[00:12:14]>> [music] >> And therefore, please find it in your good heart because Africans, you are good people.

[00:12:20]>> [music] >> Find it in your good hearts to forgive us.

[00:12:25]We are sorry.

[00:12:26]We are ashamed of ourselves.

[00:12:29]And we sincerely apologize for this madness. We are sorry. [music] Please, don't treat all South Africans the same.

[00:12:37][music] We are dealing with these criminal elements who want to project us as people who do not love our own [music] brothers and sisters.

[00:12:50]Forgive us.

[00:12:51]>> [music] >> We come from a traumatized past and we are struggling in finding ourselves.

[00:12:58]>> [music] >> We are still in the process of soul-searching and we'll ultimately one day know >> [music] >> that we are part of Africa.

[00:13:10]Our oppressors, those who have taken away our brains and mind, are the ones who have instilled in us >> [music] >> the hatred of our fellow African brothers and sisters.

[00:13:25]>> [music] >> It is not of our own making. We are still working on ourselves.

[00:13:32]Because they said to us, we are better than Africa.

[00:13:36]>> [music] >> And some amongst us still think exactly like that.

[00:13:40]>> [music] >> We'll soon realize that we are nothing without our continent.

[00:13:47]We have no any other home except this continent. [music] If things go bad here in South Africa, we will only be received well and properly >> [music] >> in other parts of African continent like they did before. It will not be for the first time.

[00:14:04]The Nigerians opened their gates, Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Swaziland, Botswana, [music] the Lesotho people, Zambian people, Tanzanian people.

[00:14:15]Angola, they opened their gates and welcomed us.

[00:14:19]>> [music] >> The people of Lesotho were bombed and killed >> [music] >> by apartheid government looking for us.

[00:14:30]And after those bombing, they never said, "Hey, hey, hey, we are no longer part of this nonsense."

[00:14:34]>> [music] >> They continued to provide entrance as a frontline state for our guerrillas to come and wage a war against the murderous regime of apartheid.

[00:14:48]>> [music] >> It is our turn now to say thank you to the continent. Instead, we are eating [music] now.

[00:14:55]And we have forgotten where we come from.

[00:14:58]The Julian Biyana will be to Africa.

[00:15:02]You must do a thorough thorough soul searching, South Africans.

[00:15:07]You'll realize that your acts are unacceptable.

[00:15:11]>> Videos began circulating from Xhosa-speaking South Africans expressing fear, frustration, and sadness.

[00:15:18]One woman emotionally described how how felt unsafe after hearing reports that a young Xonga man had allegedly been mistaken for a foreigner.

[00:15:26]She spoke about her own experience in an Uber where questions about language and identity made her uncomfortable.

[00:15:32]Her concern was simple. If people are being judged based on language, accent, or appearance, then innocent South Africans could become targets.

[00:15:41]And that's what made this conversation much bigger than immigration.

[00:15:45]For many people online, the issue stopped being about who is South African and who is not.

[00:15:50]Instead, it became about the danger of assumptions.

[00:15:54]Think about it for a moment.

[00:15:56]South Africa is one of the most diverse countries in Africa.

[00:16:00]We have Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Pedi, Venda, Xonga, Ndebele, Swati, and many other communities.

[00:16:09]People speak different languages.

[00:16:13]They have different accents.

[00:16:15]Some people have family roots that cross modern borders because African communities existed long before today's national boundaries were created.

[00:16:23]So, what happens when someone decides they can identify a foreigner simply by looking at them?

[00:16:28]That is where many social media users said the real danger begins.

[00:16:33]Another creator who reacted to the story argued that violence solves nothing.

[00:16:37]She questioned why anyone would be stabbed or attacked regardless of where they came from.

[00:16:43]Her concern was that once violence becomes acceptable against one group, it can easily spread to others.

[00:16:49]And history gives us plenty of examples of that.

[00:16:52]When people begin dividing society into us and them, those definitions often become broader and broader.

[00:16:59]Today, it may be foreigners.

[00:17:01]Tomorrow, it may be people from another province.

[00:17:04]The next day, it may be people who speak a different language.

[00:17:08]That fear was reflected in many of the reactions online.

[00:17:12]Interestingly, this is not a new warning.

[00:17:15]Years ago, Julius Malema publicly addressed xenophobic violence and warned South Africans about the consequences of targeting people based on nationality or identity.

[00:17:24]His argument was straightforward.

[00:17:27]He said that if people normalize attacking Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, or other African nationals, eventually the same mentality could be turned against fellow South Africans.

[00:17:38]He warned that once people become comfortable with identifying enemies based on appearance, language, or stereotypes, it becomes difficult to control where that behavior stops.

[00:17:49]Whether people agree with Malema politically or not, many social media users pointed out that this warning has resurfaced because of the current debate.

[00:17:58]Malema also argued that many of South Africa's social problems cannot simply be blamed on foreigners.

[00:18:04]He emphasized that South Africans themselves must take responsibility for issues such as crime and violence rather than assuming every problem originates outside the country.

[00:18:14]That message generated a lot of discussion because it challenged a narrative that some people had accepted without question.

[00:18:20]Now, none of this means concerns about illegal immigration are not real.

[00:18:25]Many South Africans have genuine concerns about border security, employment, crime, and pressure on public services.

[00:18:33]Those concerns exist and they are part of an important national conversation.

[00:18:38]But many people reacting to this story made a distinction between discussing immigration policy and attacking individuals.

[00:18:44]Those are not the same thing.

[00:18:47]A government can enforce immigration laws.

[00:18:50]Communities can debate policy.

[00:18:52]Citizens can express concerns.

[00:18:55]But once innocent people are harmed because of assumptions, many argue that society has crossed a dangerous line.

[00:19:02]What made this story especially emotional was the fear expressed by ordinary people who saw themselves in the victim.

[00:19:08]Tsonga speakers, Venda speakers, and others wondered whether their language or appearance could make them targets of suspicion.

[00:19:15]And that fear tells us something important.

[00:19:18]When innocent people begin worrying about their safety because of how they speak, the issue is no longer just about immigration.

[00:19:25]It becomes about trust within society itself.

[00:19:29]Perhaps the biggest lesson from this entire debate is that identity in South Africa is far more complex than simple labels.

[00:19:36]The country is a mosaic of cultures, languages, histories, and communities.

[00:19:41]Reducing people to assumptions based on appearance is not only inaccurate, it can be dangerous.

[00:19:48]The reactions online show that many South Africans are wrestling with difficult questions.

[00:19:53]How do you address legitimate concerns about immigration while protecting innocent people?

[00:19:59]How do you maintain security without creating suspicion between communities?

[00:20:03]And how do you ensure that political frustrations do not turn into violence against ordinary people?

[00:20:09]These are not easy questions.

[00:20:12]But if there is one thing many of the viral videos agreed on, it is this: no one should lose their life because somebody guessed where they came from.

[00:20:20]That is why this story has resonated with so many people.

[00:20:24]Beyond politics, beyond social media arguments, and beyond the endless comment sections, there is a simple human reality.

[00:20:31]A family loses a loved one.

[00:20:34]A community grieves.

[00:20:36]People become afraid.

[00:20:38]And a country is forced to confront difficult questions about identity, belonging, and coexistence.

[00:20:45]The debate will continue.

[00:20:47]The arguments will continue.

[00:20:49]But many South Africans online are hoping that whatever differences exist, they can be addressed through dialogue, law, and reason, not violence.

[00:20:58]Because once violence becomes the answer, everybody eventually becomes vulnerable.

[00:21:03]And that may be the most important warning of all.