Operation Dudula Faces off Against Human Rights Organisations in “Misguided” Protest

Operation Dudula marched against human rights organisations they say are protecting “illegal foreigners.”

• Anti-immigration group Operation Dudula marched against human rights organisations on Thursday.
• They tried to hand over a memorandum to the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), but were upset that they were blocked from entering the building by supporters of Abahlali Base’mjondolo.
• Operation Dudula president Zandile Dabula said they will return and “close these offices”.
• SERI and Abahlali Base’mjondolo say the protest is “misguided”.

Human rights organisations united to stop members of the vigilante anti-immigration group Operation Dudula in Johannesburg from entering the offices of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) on Thursday.

Operation Dudula had planned to hand over memoranda to SERI, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), and the Helen Suzman Foundation. They claim these organisations are “unpatriotic” for protecting “illegal foreigners” at the expense of South Africans.

A few dozen Operation Dudula supporters walked from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to SERI’s offices in Braamfontein.

“We are reclaiming our country. We are reclaiming what belongs to us and today we are starting to clean the streets,” said Thami Madondo, one of the group’s leaders.

“South Africa belongs to South Africans. South Africa does not belong to anyone who lives in South Africa.”

Madondo denied that Operation Dudula was xenophobic. But throughout the march, he chanted derogatory descriptions of immigrants over the microphone.

When they reached SERI’s offices, they were met by members of the shack dwellers’ movement Abahlali baseMjondolo who had come to stand in solidarity with SERI.

The Operation Dudula supporters were unhappy that other organisations were blocking them from entering the office to hand over their memorandum. They taunted, swore at and shoved some of those standing with SERI. Police officers used pepper spray on a group of Operation Dudula protesters who tried to enter the offices and eventually managed to push them away.

Operation Dudula president Zandile Dabula was noticeably upset about not being allowed inside the offices and was heard saying, “We will come back here and close these offices.”

They decided not to hand over the memorandum and instead moved on the SAHRC offices, where they handed over their memorandum.

Ahead of the march, Nomzamo Zondo, SERI’s executive director, told GroundUp that they supported Operation Dudula’s right to protest, but felt the group was misguided in who they were blaming.

“Most people understand that while government has done a lot over the past 30 years, a lot remains to be done, and in some cases, the state is failing its people. The misguided sentiment that migrants are to blame is taking hold in our communities and is increasingly being dangerously weaponised by political leaders, in part to distract people from the root causes of these challenges,” she said.

“While it is crucial that all of us, especially those most affected by poverty and inequality, be given space to share experiences, raise legitimate concerns, and to advocate for their rights, it is equally important that those issues are not weaponised to justify breaking the law and violating the rights of any group of people.”

After the Operation Dudula members left, Zondo said, “Unfortunately, instead of delivering the memorandum, they hurled insults at us which we could only drown with song.”

Abahlali baseMjondolo general secretary Thapelo Mohapi told GroundUp that they were hoping to unite more South Africans to stand against the group.

“We have a health crisis in this country. We have high unemployment rates in this country, and our economy is not growing. There is a lack of political will from the government to address the issues and the problems this country is facing. We are saying to our brothers and sisters in Dudula that they are misguided and they should divert their anger and take these issues to government,” he said.

“The majority of South Africans know that we are all connected, we love the rest of Africa, and that is why we are here today. It is to say that we are not poor because of other poor, black people from African countries. We want to tell South Africans to unite and not fight amongst ourselves.”

Operation Dudula supporters taunted and swore at SERI supporters.

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