By Divine Sam.

A foreign national has been beaten to death by a mob of about 50 people in Durban, South Africa, amid growing anti-migrant protests and tensions in the country.

Police confirmed the incident occurred on Thursday in the city centre, where demonstrations were also taking place. However, authorities said they were unable to establish the purpose of the march or whether it was directly connected to the fatal attack.

According to the police, two men from the group initially approached the victim, believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s, as he stood by the roadside.

“It is further alleged that the victim was then assaulted by a group of about 50 people and he was declared dead at the scene,” a police statement said.

The victim’s nationality and the motive behind the attack had not been established as of the time of the report.

The killing comes amid months of protests against foreign nationals in Durban, a major port city that has witnessed growing hostility towards migrants. The tensions have been accompanied by incidents of violence, looting and attacks on businesses.

On Wednesday, drivers working with e-hailing services staged a march in the same area, involving the March and March movement, which has organised protests against illegal immigration across South Africa in recent months.

The latest incident also follows unrest that erupted in Durban about two weeks ago, when soldiers were deployed to the city centre as police struggled to contain two days of rioting and looting targeting foreign nationals.

During the violence, 14 vehicles were reportedly set ablaze, while several businesses were looted or torched.

The latest attack has renewed concerns about the safety of migrants in South Africa, where anti-immigration demonstrations earlier in the year reportedly forced tens of thousands of nationals from other African countries to flee.

Police have yet to establish the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s killing, including the identity of the victim and the motive for the assault.