Two people have died following a series of violent protests that erupted in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape over the weekend.Police in the Southern Cape are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths, which occurred in separate incidents in the Kwanonqaba area.

According to police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies, the first case involved the discovery of a man’s body at the New Rest informal settlement around 3am on Sunday.The victim had sustained multiple injuries and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.Shortly afterwards, at about 3.20am, police were called to a local hospital where another man had been declared dead on arrival.Authorities have confirmed that the motives behind both killings remain unknown at this stage.

The unrest is also linked to sporadic incidents of violence that broke out near Asla Park on Friday afternoon, prompting the deployment of additional police reinforcements from neighbouring stations.Several arrests were made during these operations, including two young men aged 19 and 21 who were charged with public violence.A further three suspects, aged 21, 31 and 41, were arrested for possession of suspected stolen property.Police allege that the recovered items had been taken from premises that were left vacant during the unrest.Public order policing units were deployed to stabilise the area, and authorities say the situation has since calmed.A visible police presence is expected to remain in place until full normalisation is achieved.The Mossel Bay municipality has also been working closely with law enforcement agencies to manage the situation.

Senior officials, including the municipal manager and the portfolio chair for community safety, met with police leadership to assess developments and discuss further interventions, particularly regarding support for displaced residents affected by the unrest.