4 days ago
Parliament slams Operation Dudula's ‘vigilante tactics'
Parliament emphasised that it must operate within established legal frameworks rather than extrajudicial means.
The chairperson of parliament's Select Committee on Education, Science and the Creative Industries has condemned Operation Dudula's campaign to disrupt services at healthcare centres and schools.
Makhi Feni expressed his disapproval of the organisation's actions, which have prevented foreign nationals from accessing healthcare facilities in recent months.
Three arrested members of Operation Dudula were released on Monday on a warning after appearing in the Orlando Magistrate's Court.
They were arrested for denying foreign nationals access to healthcare at the Lilian Ngoyi Clinic in Diepkloof.
Police allege the women stormed the maternity ward at the clinic and tried to remove a pregnant woman.
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The arrests did not deter them. Shortly after their release, they marched straight back to the clinic to remove undocumented migrants.
Operation Dudula announced last week that it plans to carry out similar disruptions at schools when they reopen in 2026.
Operation Dudula's vigilante approach condemned
The organisation's tactics have drawn sharp criticism from some in parliament.
'Operation Dudula's actions have the potential to misrepresent our country and our democracy. South Africa is a country of law and order, and these should be strictly adhered to,' said Feni on Tuesday.
The parliamentary chairperson described the organisation's actions as problematic and counterproductive to government efforts addressing immigration challenges.
'The actions of Operation Dudula are objectionable and are an unnecessary distraction to the work the government is doing around immigration challenges. People do not just come to South Africa out of free will but for refuge and from hunger,' he added.
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Feni emphasised that the government must operate within established legal frameworks rather than extrajudicial means.
'We cannot all adopt vigilante tactics when dealing with a challenge everyone accepts as massive and worthy of resolution. Legislative amendments and means are being proposed to resolve this challenge,' he said.
Government initiatives underway
The chairperson highlighted several government initiatives already in motion to address immigration concerns.
In 2024, authorities established the Border Management Agency to manage border-related issues more effectively.
'On the labour front, something is being done with the Labour Migration Policy. Home Affairs is deporting those it can, who have been found to have been in the country illegally,' Feni explained.
He called on Operation Dudula to collaborate constructively with the government rather than targeting vulnerable populations.
Operation Dudula leader defiant
Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula remained defiant when speaking to the media, criticising the legal process her organisation faces.
'There's no way that you will keep people in jail for five days and give them free bail and take them out on a warning. We have been treated like this is a Schedule 6 offence,' she said.
Dabula drew comparisons between current government actions and historical oppression.
'The government of the ANC and the GNU together. They're taking us back to the apartheid days. They're using the system. It's just coming in a different colour now. They're using the police to work against us,' she stated.
Escalation threats and continued operations
Dabula indicated her organisation would intensify its activities despite government opposition.
'Now we're going to do what the ANC did to the apartheid government. Now we're going to do it to the ANC government, together with the GNU, whatever they call themselves. We're not going to stop,' Dabula declared.
She stopped short of explicitly calling for violence but suggested confrontation is possible.
'I'm not inciting violence, but if we have to fight. If this country has to be ungovernable, then let it be. We're going to operate,' she said.
Dabula maintained that her organisation operates within legal boundaries while the government fails to enforce existing laws.
'There is nothing wrong that we have done. We have not broken any laws. Instead, we are implementing and enforcing the laws that the government is failing to enforce,' she claimed.
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