Latest news with #OperationDudula
IOL News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Why SAHRC flagged Operation Dudula to Hawks over June 16 plans
Members of the Operation Dudula Movement led yet another operation of shutting down spaza shops owned by illegal foreigners in Diepkloof. The operation uncovered expired food items which included cookies, snacks, colddrinks, painkillers and sanitary pads. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has raised the alarm over Operation Dudula's latest planned activities in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, and has reported the group to the National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and the Hawks. This follows social media posts by Operation Dudula, in which the group called on members of the public to join them on 16 June to 'reclaim hijacked properties from illegal foreigners.' The post, shared on the group's Facebook page, claims that a Nigerian national has taken control of over 100 properties and alleges, without evidence, that several white South Africans have been murdered in the process. The planned gathering is expected to start at 9 am at the Moffettview police station. It forms part of the group's ongoing efforts to mobilise communities around their anti-immigration agenda — a campaign critics say fuels xenophobia and undermines the rule of law. In response, the SAHRC said on Sunday that it had taken note of the concerning language and potential for incitement. 'We have already alerted the National Commissioner of Police and will keep these calls under close watch,' the Commission stated. 'We reserve the right to pursue charges under the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 should the content amount to criminal incitement.'While acknowledging that communities often face real concerns about crime and service delivery, the Commission urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands. 'Freedom of expression does not extend to speech that incites hatred or violence,' it added. The Commission encouraged South Africans to report criminal activity to SAPS or relevant authorities and to consult its Social Media Charter for responsible online engagement. 'Together with law enforcement and civil society, the SAHRC will continue to safeguard the dignity, equality and security of every person in South Africa.'In response to the SAHRC, Operation Dudula denied being a violent organisation. 'We are peaceful,' the group said in a statement. 'We just want to help illegal foreigners return to their home countries. We are good Samaritans.' However, Operation Dudula's activities are under increasing legal scrutiny. Last week, the High Court in Johannesburg heard arguments from civil society groups including Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF), Inner City Federation (ICF), and Abahlali baseMjondolo. The applicants argue that the group's actions constitute xenophobic harassment, intimidation, and unlawful evictions. According to legal counsel Jason Brickhill, Operation Dudula has been forcibly shutting down informal businesses, demanding identity documents, and even removing learners and teachers from schools based on nationality. The applicants also challenged Section 41 of the Immigration Act, arguing that its current form allows warrantless searches beyond public spaces and does not require reasonable suspicion before demanding immigration status. As tensions rise ahead of 16 June, the SAHRC and the Hawks have pledged to monitor the situation closely. The case against Operation Dudula highlights broader concerns around rising anti-immigrant sentiment and the erosion of constitutional protections for vulnerable communities in South Africa.
The Citizen
16-06-2025
- The Citizen
SAHRC reports Operation Dudula's activities to Hawks
Operation Dudula claims it is a group of 'good Samaritans' who are helping illegal foreigners return home. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it has alerted the National Commissioner of Police, Fannie Masemola, and the Hawks regarding Operation Dudula's planned activities for 16 June. On Friday, Operation Dudula took to their Facebook page, calling on the public to join their operation in Rosettenville, 'as we will be reclaiming Rosettenville hijacked properties from illegal foreigners'. 'It has been discovered that one illegal Nigerian foreigner has hijacked over 100 properties, while an undisclosed number of white people have allegedly been murdered in the process,' it claimed. ALSO READ: Operation Dudula vows to remove foreign shop owners from Ekurhuleni 'We are fighting for space with our siblings in small houses, yet foreigners are comfortable in hijacked properties. Those are our RDPs.' The meeting point for the operation is Rosettenville at the Moffettview police station at 9am. SAHRC: 'We alerted police' The SAHRC said on Sunday that it had taken note of the social media posts and alerted Masemola. 'We have already alerted the National Commissioner of Police and will keep these calls under close watch, reserving the right to pursue charges under the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 should they amount to criminal incitement,' it said. 'While the Commission does not dismiss genuine grievances about crime or service delivery, we remind the public that freedom of expression does not extend to speech that incites hatred or violence. 'Citizens are encouraged to report any alleged criminal or unlawful activity to Saps and other competent authorities rather than taking the law into their own hands, and to consult the SAHRC Social Media Charter for guidance on responsible online conduct. ALSO READ: Operation Dudula tells immigrants to get healthcare 'in their own countries' 'Together with law-enforcement agencies and civil-society partners, the SAHRC will continue to safeguard the dignity, equality and security of every person in South Africa. 'The Commission is encouraged by the confirmation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Hawks, that it will urgently look into this matter.' However, Operation Dudula says it is not a violent organisation. 'We just want to remind SAHRC that Operation Dudula is a peaceful organisation helping illegal foreigners go back to their countries and develop them. We are good Samaritans,' it said in response to the SAHRC. Case against Operation Dudula Last week, the High Court in Johannesburg heard arguments presented on behalf of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF), the Inner City Federation (ICF), and Abahlali baseMjondolo, challenging the alleged xenophobic and racist speech and conduct of Operation Dudula. Legal counsel Jason Brickhill, for the NGOs, accused Operation Dudula of harassing and intimidating foreigners by demanding to verify identity documents, forcing businesses to close, preventing informal traders from operating, evicting people from their homes without a court order, wearing uniforms that resemble those of the police or the military, denying people access to health care or education by removing students and teachers from schools based on of nationality. The applicants also challenged the constitutional validity of Section 41 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002, to the extent that its application is not confined to public spaces, authorising warrantless searches in private places that include the home and places of study, work, and/or business; and to the extent that it does not require an immigration officer or police officer to hold a reasonable suspicion that a person is unlawfully in South Africa before requesting such persons to identify themselves as a citizen, permanent resident, refugee, asylum seeker or undocumented migrant. Judgment was reserved. READ NEXT: NGOs say foreigners in SA told to return to their countries when opening cases against Operation Dudula
Daily Maverick
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Home Affairs and police deny collusion with Operation Dudula as court battle continues
Accusations of 'state-enabled xenophobia' flew in the Gauteng Division of the High Court on Wednesday as SAPS members and Home Affairs officials denied colluding with the anti-migrant group Operation Dudula. Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) returned to the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday for the second day of the legal challenge by KAAX and several other rights organisations against the anti-migrant organisation Operation Dudula. As on the previous day, the gallery was packed with members of civil society organisations that supported the application. The only difference on Wednesday was the significant number of Operation Dudula members, who sat side by side in the gallery with the migrants they oppose. Operation Dudula's president, Zandile Dabula, was also present in the courtroom as the legal representatives for the DHA and SAPS presented their heads of argument in opposition to the applicants' legal challenge. On Tuesday, Daily Maverick reported that KAAX, the South African Informal Traders Forum, the Inner City Federation and Abahlali baseMjondolo filed the legal challenge in 2023 to ask the court to prevent Operation Dudula from assaulting, harassing or intimidating migrants and to stop Operation Dudula from impeding access to healthcare services and schools for the children of international migrants. The DHA and SAPS were added as respondents to the application for allegedly failing to protect vulnerable communities from Operation Dudula's xenophobic conduct and for allegedly colluding with or supporting the group's activities. State-enabled xenophobia One of the arguments that advocate Jason Brickhill, representing the applicants, made on Tuesday was that the SAPS and the DHA colluded with Operation Dudula. 'There is clear evidence that SAPS officials have, at times, acted in concert with Operation Dudula, entering buildings and detaining individuals identified as foreign nationals, including children, without any lawful basis. That sort of collusion undermines constitutional protections and amounts to state-enabled xenophobia,' said Brickhill. Advocate William Mokhare SC, representing Home Affairs, countered by saying, 'To suggest that meeting with Dudula translates to collusion is an absurd proposition. Collusion is a very strong word; it has very strong connotations, it's a serious allegation that cannot be lightly made, it must be made when one has got evidence.' Mokhare said the applicants' bid to interdict the minister of home affairs from colluding with Operation Dudula was inappropriate, and there were other remedies available. He defended section 41 of the Immigration Act, which the applicants sought to have declared constitutionally invalid because it allows for warrantless searches without reasonable suspicion. He argued that the legislation does not authorise warrantless raids or searches of homes but simply allows immigration officers or the police to request the identification of any person, not just immigrants. The SAPS legal team also denied all the allegations made by the applicants. Addressing the applicants' complaint that the SAPS had breached its constitutional duties, advocate W Isaaks maintained that the SAPS had acted within its constitutional and legislative obligations. He denied that the SAPS failed to investigate complaints of criminal conduct by Operation Dudula members against migrants, claiming the police responded to and investigated incidents when complaints were made. Isaaks dealt with some of the examples the applicants cited on Tuesday, including that officers at the Norwood Police Station refused to investigate and pursue charges against Operation Dudula members who threatened and assaulted traders in Orange Grove in 2022 and looted their businesses. He said the police had opened a case of intimidation and malicious damage in that instance, and provided a case number (251/03/2022). He turned to the killing of Elvis Nyathi, who was beaten to death by a mob in an incident that was allegedly incited by Operation Dudula in April 2022, and for which the applicants argued that no members of the anti-migrant group were arrested. Isaaks argued that SAPS investigation into the murder led to arrests, though the case was later struck from the roll due to witness non-cooperation, which falls under the National Prosecuting Authority's purview. He denied that the police colluded with Operation Dudula, saying that joint operations with the DHA were lawful and necessary for identification and verification purposes, and were not conducted at the instigation of Operation Dudula. Judgment was reserved. 'No one will stop us' After the proceedings concluded, members of Operation Dudula gathered outside the court, singing, dancing and bandying about the word ' Makwerekwere ' (a derogatory term for African foreign nationals). At the centre of the camouflage-clad crowd was the organisation's president, Dabula. She told Daily Maverick Operation Dudula only learnt on social media that the proceedings were happening. (The group was in fact emailed the founding affidavit in 2023.) Responding to allegations that members of the SAPS accompanied them on raids and that foreign nationals had been arrested outside the scope of the law, Dabula said, 'They're talking about things that they don't have proof of. For instance, they're talking about SAPS accompanying us on our operations. There's nothing like that.' She insisted that law enforcement members were present only to verify documents and that any document checks followed legal procedures. 'Every time we ask you to produce your document, you'll see or hear us saying, 'Go, the SAPS will verify your document. Because we know we can't physically even look at their documents … it's within their rights, but also there's a citizen's arrest that we can apply as citizens of this country.' She said Operation Dudula was the 'mouthpiece of South Africans' and the nation was facing an 'immigration crisis'. 'People are … seeing us as the only hope that talks about this foreign issue, and we don't mince our words. When we're saying that we want them to leave, we mean just that,' she said. KAAX's Dale McKinley said Operation Dudula did not speak on behalf of the South African public. 'There is a very small vocal minority, which is amplified on social media to make it appear as if large populations of South Africa are xenophobic. This is the point that we were making about Operation Dudula; they contested the elections as a political party, and they got fewer votes than we have members,' said McKinley. DM
The Citizen
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
South Africa can't go back to apartheid ways
In this country – and many others – immgrants are sometimes regarded as 'The Other' and as subhuman. Quite correctly, legal and constitutional experts, as well as civil society activists in the US, are voicing their concern that President Donald Trump is moving towards an authoritarian state, following his deployment of soldiers from the National Guard to help quell protests in Los Angeles. The Angelenos took to the street in reaction to heavy-handed raids on immigrants by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Today, on our pages, Claudia Pizzocri – a local immigration and citizenship lawyer – warns the same thing is already happening in South Africa under the 'Operation New Broom' campaign by the Department of Home Affairs. She says that, barely two days after the campaign launched late last month, more than 50 individuals, including children, pregnant women and asylum seekers, were rounded up during an early-morning raid at the Plastic View informal settlement in Tshwane. The people were treated in a dehumanising manner, reminiscent of the apartheid-era crackdowns on dissent. ALSO READ: Home Affairs launches Operation New Broom to tackle illegal immigration At the same time, lawyers suing the anti-immigrant movement, Operation Dudula, claim their actions against alleged illegal immigrants are not only unlawful, but they get tacit support from the police and authorities. Immigration is one of the hottest global topics at the moment as hordes of people seek to move across the world – either avoiding persecution or merely looking for a better life. Included in this group are South African whites who are being offered asylum in the US because they are allegedly facing a genocide. In this country – and many others – the newcomers are regarded as 'The Other' and as subhuman, which makes them all that easier to abuse and deprive of their basic human rights. In a country whose democracy rose out of the ashes of oppression, we cannot allow a similar culture of brutality to take root again. NOW READ: NGOs say foreigners in SA told to return to their countries when opening cases against Operation Dudula
The South African
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
5 challenges facing Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa NOW
Most Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa continue to face a range of challenges, from immigration uncertainty to poor access to basic services, amid ongoing arrests of undocumented foreign nationals. Therefore, many immigrants remain vulnerable to exploitation and police raids. Here is a look at five challenges that Zimbabweans in South Africa face: The ZEP has expired, extensions keep coming, but there's no clear path forward. Thousands fear getting arrested or deported during random raids. This has become a challenge to Zimbabwean immigrants who are trying to live and work in peace. Not all Zimbabwean immigrants to South Africa are ZEP holders. Some Zimbabweans who live in South Africa do have valid passports without work permits, and others do not have passports at all. With no papers to protect them, many Zimbabwean immigrants take whatever work they can find, often in homes, construction sites, or kitchens. Some reports suggest that most Zimbabweans are underpaid, overworked, and silenced by the constant threat of deportation if they speak up. For Zimbabwean migrants, a visit to a clinic can end in humiliation. 'No papers, no service,' that's the message too many receive. The South African recently reported a case of a Zimbabwean teenager who was denied a kidney transplant in Johannesburg because her parents' work permit had expired. Falling ill or trying to enrol a child in school shouldn't be a gamble, but for Zimbabwean immigrants, it is. Many are turned away from hospitals, and school admissions often require documents they can't provide. Social media has become a powerful amplifier of anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa. Despite having many foreign nationals based in South Africa, Zimbabwean immigrants, in particular, are regularly blamed for economic and social problems. Groups such as Operation Dudula have used platforms like Facebook and Twitter to mobilise anger, often inciting real-world hostility. Blamed for everything from crime to job shortages, Zimbabwean immigrants are constantly dragged on South African social media. Zimbabweans have become easy scapegoats in online spaces, with hashtags and posts reinforcing a narrative of exclusion. Many Zimbabweans living in South Africa rely on informal trading. Selling fruit or clothes is the only way to make ends meet, but crackdowns keep hitting them hardest. It's survival, but not without stress. If you are selling on the street, you must be ready for raids, fines, or your stuff getting taken. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
