The South African Police Service (SAPS) has appointed a multidisciplinary team of experienced detectives and crime intelligence officers to investigate the murder of March and March Gauteng leader Andile Mvuyiselwa Somgaxa.

Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane announced the decision on Tuesday, saying the specialised team was established in consultation with Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni.

Somgaxa was shot in the driveway of his home in Greenfield, Ekurhuleni, on 4 July. He died in hospital five days later, on 9 July, after succumbing to his injuries.

“The appointment of a multidisciplinary team underscores the seriousness with which SAPS is treating this matter. We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” Dimpane said.

She said police would leave no stone unturned in identifying, tracing and arresting those responsible for the killing.

The investigation comes after March and March confirmed Somgaxa’s death earlier this week. The movement’s spokesperson, Sandile Dube, said the organisation had received death threats linked to its campaign against illegal immigration.

March and March emerged as a prominent movement in 2026, organising demonstrations across several provinces calling for stricter enforcement of immigration laws and action against undocumented migrants. The group has described its campaign as a call for law enforcement rather than opposition to legal immigration, while critics have accused it of fuelling xenophobic sentiment.

Large scale demonstrations organised by the movement took place in Gauteng and other provinces during June. SAPS deployed Public Order Policing officers to monitor the protests, stating that peaceful demonstrations are protected by the Constitution but warning that violence, intimidation and unlawful conduct would not be tolerated.

In the same statement announcing the investigative team, Dimpane issued a warning against individuals and groups targeting foreign nationals.

She welcomed the arrest of five suspects in Lephalale, Limpopo, who allegedly posed as Department of Home Affairs officials and demanded that foreign nationals leave Marapong township.

According to SAPS, the incident involved a Nigerian national who was intimidated and forced to close his business after the group allegedly claimed foreign nationals were not allowed to operate businesses in South Africa.

Police said the Department of Home Affairs later verified the man’s documentation and confirmed that he was legally in South Africa and possessed valid documents permitting him to run his business.

“The law applies equally to everyone. No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities. Those responsibilities rest solely with law enforcement agencies and relevant government departments,” Dimpane said.

She stressed that only authorised law enforcement officials may conduct inspections and verify the legal status of people within South Africa.

Police said any acts of intimidation, vigilantism or violence against foreign nationals would be dealt with decisively.

The police have not announced any arrests in connection with Somgaxa’s murder, and the motive for the shooting has not yet been established.

Investigators are expected to examine all available evidence as the multidisciplinary team continues its investigation into the killing.