Simon, Ugandan Man, Speaks From Hospital After Durban Mob Attack

What changed

Simon, a 45-year-old Ugandan man, survived a mob attack during a March and March protest in Durban on 21 October 2026. From his hospital bed, he described being chased, beaten with weapons and briefly losing consciousness.

The attack was captured on video. Police said five men were questioned over the assault and a separate murder after another foreign national was reportedly beaten to death in Durban the following morning.

Why it matters

Simon said he ran after seeing marchers carrying weapons and wearing masks and balaclavas. When he reached two eThekwini Municipality peace officers in yellow bibs, they appeared to intervene briefly before stepping back. The video shows attackers landing more than a dozen blows before dispersing as a police vehicle arrived.

He suffered several injuries, including a puncture wound to his back that he believes came from a club fitted with a nail. He also lost his phone, wallet and documents. He asked to be identified only by his first name because he feared further reprisals.

The hospital interview also corrected a dangerous falsehood. A WhatsApp voice note had claimed Simon died, but Ugandan community leaders confirmed that he was alive and recovering. In a story involving filmed violence and a frightened victim, that distinction is not a footnote. It determines whether the public understands an assault as an attempted killing or repeats a death that did not happen.

The identities and precise roles of those involved remain uncertain. What is clear is that a public protest in central Durban became the setting for a targeted attack on a foreign national, followed within hours by a reported killing.