Court Blocks Operation Dudula From Continuing Foreign National-Targeted Operations

• The Gauteng High Court has prevented Operation Dudula from embarking on anti-migrant activities after passing an interdiction
• Kopanong Africa Against Xenophobia, the South African Informal Traders Forum, and other organisations applied for the interdict
• The ruling said Operation Dudula had no right to remove people from public spaces, including hospitals and schools

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, 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.

GAUTENG — The Gauteng High Court has put the brakes on Operation Dudula's anti-migrant operations, which they have been carrying out on public healthcare facilities. The court interdicted the organisation on 4 November 2025.

Journalist Canny Maphanga shared the judgment the court handed down on her @CannyMaphanga X account. Kopanong Africa Against Zenophobia, the Inner City Federation, the South African Informal Traders Forum, and Abahlali BaseMjondolo Movement filed for an indictment against Operation Dudula. The interdiction aimed to stop Operation Dudula from continuing its campaigns against foreign nationals.

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What does the order say?

The order stated that only an immigration officer or a police officer has the power to demand that another private person produce an identity document in terms of the Immigration Act. The order prevented Dudula from demanding that foreign nationals produce their identity documents.

Dudula was also restrained from intimidating, harassing, and assaulting foreign nationals, making public statements that would constitute hate speech, and interfering with access to schools and intimidating and harassing learners, teachers, or parents at schools.

Read the full judgment on X here:

4 Briefly News stories about Operation Dudula

Operation Dudula threatened legal action against the South African Police Service after two of its members were arrested in Soweto on 7 August 2025. The members were arrested while removing foreign nationals from the Lilian Ngoyi Clinic in Diepkloof. The organisation's president, Zandile Dabula, said that they contacted their legal representatives after the members' rights were allegedly violated.

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Operation Dudula also defended itself and its operation at the Lilian Ngoyi Clinic. Operation Dudula spoke to Briefly News, and said that it returned to the clinic to protect citizens' rights to access healthcare services without competition from undocumented migrants.

Zimbabwe's ruling party, ZANU-PF, slammed Operation Dudula. The party's Director, Farai Marapira, accused Operation Dudula of fighting to get access to low-paying jobs instead of striving for ownership and empowerment.

Dudula responded and said ZANU-PF must focus on its own country. Dabula said that Dudula was not anti-immigrant but is against anti-illegal migrants in the country.

SAHRC loses court case against Dudula

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) lost a court case against Operation Dudula. The SAHRC's case against Operation Dudula was struck off the roll on 10Octoer 2025 at the Durban High Court.

The SAHRC applied for an interdict to stop them from denying documented and undocumented foreign nationals access to public healthcare facilities. The judge accused the SAHRC of abusing court processes.

Source: Briefly News