Operation Dudula To Take Legal Action After Members Arrested for Anti-Migrant Campaign Released

• Operation Dudula threatened legal action against the police and accused them of wrongful arrest
• This was after three members who were recently arrested appeared before the court and were released
• The members were arrested for preventing undocumented foreign nationals from accessing public healthcare facilities

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues, including health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa, during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

ORLANDO, JOHANNESBURG — Members of Operation Dudula threatened legal action and accused the South African Police Service of illegally arresting three of their members who appeared in court and were released with a warning.

According to eNCA, the members, three women between the ages of 49 and 60, were arrested after they allegedly disrupted services at the Lilian Ngoyi Clinic. They reportedly entered the premises and demanded ID documents from patients. The women were charged with public violence, trespassing, and violating the National Health Act.

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Operation Dudula protests

Members of the organization, including the president, Zandile Dabula, gathered outside the court in support of the women who appeared in court and were released. Dabula said that the arrests were a way to frustrate Dudula's anti-migrant operation of removing foreign nationals from public healthcare.

"All of this was unnecessary. There are a lot of loopholes when their arrests were made. They were not read their rights and were put into the van and taken straight to the cells," she said.

She said that Dudula wants to see immigration offices and law enforcement officers at public healthcare facilities to ensure that those using public healthcare facilities are locals. She accused the government of enforcing the immigration laws of the country.

Operation Dudula and foreign nationals in healthcare

• Operation Dudula accused the South African Human Rights Commission of favouring undocumented foreigners over South Africans
• Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi admitted in an interview on 20 July that the government failed to adequately address the crisis of undocumented foreigners in the country
• Migration expert Professor Loren Landau weighed in on Dudula's campaign and slammed the organization for targeting foreign nationals
• Operation Dudula and March and March marched to the South African Human Rights Commission office in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on 17 July 2025

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South Africans weigh in

Netizens discussed the arrest and Dudula's operation.

Bonginkoasi Ngema said:

"Imagine being arrested for defending your country."

Makhatini Michelle said:

"That time, South African people were ready to loot."

Jacob Mallane said:

"They can never stop Operation Dudula."

Onneile Onny King Kgotsiitsile said:

"I wonder if South African courts will be able to comfortably convict these protesters."

Halalisani Mnguni said:

"They were being silenced."

Operation Dudula to target public schools

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Operation Dudula revealed that its next campaign will be aimed at public schools. Dabula said Dudula will be visiting public schools in January 2026.

Dabula said that Operation Dudula will ensure that the public schools admit South Africans first. Only when South African children are admitted into the school will they allow foreign nationals to be admitted.

Source: Briefly News