Operation Dudula Heads to Cape Town, Raids Businesses Who Employ Foreign Nationals

• Operation Dudula has extended its operation to Western Cape and the movement has started marching to businesses in Cape Town
• The organisation is demanding that blue-collar companies hire unemployed South African Youth over illegal immigrants
• Operation Dudula believes it is its mandate to ensure that South Africa’s immigration policy is enforced

CAPE TOWN – Over 200 Operation Dudula members took to the streets of Cape Town on Wednesday, 10 August, and marched to shops and petrol stations suspected of hiring foreign nationals.

They aimed to demand that the establishments get rid of their foreign staff in favour of unemployed youth in the area.

TimesLIVE reported that the group of protesters handed over the CVs of unemployed South Africans and gave the workplaces a deadline of seven days to employ the youth.

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The organisation was joined by unemployed youth who braved the cold weather to demand their right to employment. Among them was Athini Twalani, a 21-year-old local who, baring her age, name and address, had a relatively sparse CV.

Twalani said she did not complete matric but had her grade 11 report.

The 21-year-old said:

“I have been sitting at home for the past three years. I have never had a job. That is why I have decided to join this movement.”

Daniswa Jaxa, the secretary of Operation Dudula’s Kraaifontein branch, claimed the movement handed over CVs to six businesses.

This is right on brand for the organisation, which marches to businesses, particularly in the blue-collar industry, to hand over memorandums and CVS.

Jaxa claimed the organisation is not targeting foreigners who are here to help South Africa, saying:

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"We are talking about cashiers, petrol attendants, security guards, construction workers ... We are fighting for jobs that are meant for us

We don’t have a problem with a doctor from Cuba who comes here and helps our people. But they should not take our menial jobs.”

According to IOL, the organisation is viewed by some South Africans as “xenophobic and dangerous”, whereas the group feels its mandate is to claim South Africa back from illegal foreigners.

Some believe that Operation Dudula sometimes gets it wrong. Last month the organisation marched to a company in Atlantis, PC Revalidation, and demanded the business stop employing illegal foreigners.

According to Dale Lewis, the company’s managing director, the movement handed over 50 CVs. Lewis maintains that out of the 42 employees, six are immigrants, and all have papers allowing them to work in South Africa.

Lewis Said:

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“The Dudula leader group is misinformed and should be embarrassed.”

During the Kraaifontein protest, Jaxa vowed that the movement would return to the companies they visited. If their demand has not been met, they will involve authorities from the department of home affairs, who will enforce South Africa’s immigration policy.

South Africans weighed in on the march that took place on Wednesday.

Alot of South Africans seem to be on board with Operation Dudula's actions, with some going as far as calling it fair discrimination.

Here are some comments:

Operation Dudula changes mandate, now targeting legal and illegal foreign nationals in South Africa

In similar news, Briefly News reported that Operation Dudula has now changed its mandate: instead of campaigning for the removal of only illegal immigrants in South Africa, the organisation now wants all foreign nationals to leave Mzansi.

During an address at the organisation's launch in Cape Town on Saturday, 14 May, Operation Dudula's National Secretary Zandile Dubula stated that documented foreign nationals working menial and service industry jobs will not be exempt from the call to not take up those positions.

Source: Briefly News