South African police have formed a special investigative team to probe the killing of an anti-migrant movement leader, with authorities promising a full investigation as claims emerge that the shooting may have been linked to the group's campaign against undocumented migrants.
Police confirmed that Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng provincial leader of March and March, was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month. He later died in hospital after several days of treatment.
The acting police commissioner, Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane, announced that a multidisciplinary team had been assigned to handle the case, saying the move reflected the seriousness with which police were treating the killing.
"We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability," she said in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.
March and March believes Somgxada was targeted because of the group's anti-migrant campaign.
"It's a retaliation," March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube told the BBC, explaining how the movement believed he was targeted because of its campaign to get undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Dube said several leaders within the movement had recently received threats and warnings.
"This seems like an orchestrated hitman type of killing," Dube told the BBC's Newsday programme, urging the authorities to get to the bottom of the matter and the intimidation the organisation was facing.
Somgxada was shot in the driveway of his home earlier this month.
Immigration, especially undocumented migration, has become one of the most debated issues in South Africa. Critics accuse undocumented migrants of putting pressure on public services and linking them to crime.
March and March had given undocumented migrants until June 30 to leave the country voluntarily and has vowed to continue holding weekly demonstrations until its demands are met.
The South African government says more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since launching a migration management campaign five weeks ago.
South Africa has for many years attracted migrants seeking better economic opportunities, making xenophobia a recurring issue. At different times, tensions have led to violence, and the latest demonstrations have also been marked by intimidation, looting and violent incidents.
On Tuesday, police arrested five people in Limpopo province for allegedly posing as immigration officers and ordering foreign nationals to leave the country.
Police said the incident involved a Nigerian national who was legally in South Africa but was allegedly intimidated and forced to shut down his business.
Lt Gen Dimpane issued a warning to individuals and groups taking immigration enforcement into their own hands.
"The law applies equally to everyone," she said.
"No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities."
Responding to concerns about how some foreign nationals had been treated during anti-migrant demonstrations, Dube said the organisation did not support unlawful actions.
"When questioned on how some foreign nationals had been treated by anti-migrant protesters, Dube said March and March rejected "any form of violence - we reject any form of anti-law"."
Official figures show there are more than three million documented foreign nationals living in South Africa, although the figure does not include undocumented migrants.
Several countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda, have in recent weeks arranged flights and buses for citizens wishing to return home.
On Wednesday, the final flight organised by the Nigerian government under its voluntary repatriation programme landed in Lagos with 306 passengers on board. More than 1,200 Nigerians have now returned home through the programme.