Foreign Shop Owners Slam Ramaphosa for His Absence As Operation Dudula Sweeps Across Alexandra: "Where is He?"
- Operation Dudula Movement members descended on the Alexandra community to locate and extract illegal migrants from foreign-owned shops
- Clashes broke out between foreign business owners and the group as Dudula Movement members searched shops for illegal immigrants
- Many social media users expressed that they supported the movement, while others went on the offensive against President Cyril Ramaphosa
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JOHANNESBURG - Operation Dudula swept across Alexandra township in Johannesburg on Tuesday, where police kept a high presence after a stand-off between the movement's members and foreign shop owners less than 24 hours before.
TimesLIVE reported that some businesses located in and around the busy Pan Africa Mall closed shop as the group went in search of migrant employees and shop owners who did not possess valid documentation.
Source: Getty Images
Members of the local community and several spaza shop owners expressed concerns for their safety, stock and money. A Bangladeshi national, Rumon Miah, was among the many who lamented losing out on business due to the influx of the Dudula ("push back") Movement members in the area.
"The state should act in this matter because it will become a bigger thing [if it continues like this]," Miah said, calling for the army to be deployed to Alex.
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On the verge of bloodshed
Vernon Moodley, a local shop owner, pleaded with the movement's members to grant him safe passage to bring his elderly mother from their store after she was trapped inside.
He criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for his apparent inaction concerning the situation in the township, even saying he feared it could morph into another wave of xenophobic violence, IOL reported.
"Where is Ramaphosa? He is more involved in the Ukraine-Russia war than anything else. The community is on the verge of a xenophobic outbreak, which could turn quite bloody if there are no interventions," Moodley said.
Locals support movement
Social media erupted as SA citizens from all walks of life expressed their views on the current situation in Alex. An overwhelming majority of people expressed they were in support of the movement and its tactics.
@S'makuhle Bokwe Mafuna wrote:
"The police knew this would happen, so they are playing to the cameras. Their absence does not fool us; only for them to appear in large numbers the following day!"
@Nare Mokobane said:
"He's busy preparing a speech to express 'shock' and blame Covid-19 and State Capture for the violence. Always sleeping on duty that one."
@Dimpho N Sithole added:
"I fully support this operation and understand that the main aim is ensuring that all immigrants are legally permitted to stay this side it's just sad that our fellow South Africans are affected along the way."
Heavy police presence in Alexandra following clashes
Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) were deployed to Alex after a stand-off between residents and foreign nationals on Tuesday.
A group of residents had marched down to Pan Africa Mall under the Operation Dudula banner to halt the operation of businesses owned by foreign nationals and those employing foreigners.
According to TimesLIVE, the residents alleged that they were closing down shops and businesses owned by or employing foreign nationals who did not have valid papers to be in South Africa.
Source: Briefly News
