Operation Dudula Launches North West Branch and Plans to End Illegal Mining and Root Out Crime in the Province

• The Operation Dudula movement launched its first branch in the North West at the Olympia Stadium
• The movement's leader Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini plans to deal with issues surrounding illegal mining and other criminal acts
• Dlamini believes that Operation Dudula is not xenophobic but rather a pressure group that makes government work

RUSTENBURG - Supporters of Operation Dudula launched the first branch of the movement in Rustenburg and plan to root out criminal activities starting with illegal mining in the North West on Freedom Day (27 April).

A crowd of members of the movement met at Olympia Stadium where the leader of Operation Dudula revealed his plans to eradicate mining that is not lawful. Operation Dudula Leader Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini said the movement will leave no stone unturned to correct the issues surrounding illegal mining and other criminal acts.

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He said the country’s economy revolves around mining which is being taken over by “illegal” foreigners. The group also moved to the Rustenburg taxi rank, where they created awareness of the organisation, according to SABC News.

Other matters that the movement will address include “hijacked” buildings, drugs, sex work and spaza shops opened without following proper procedures. Dlamini said the critics of the organisation are those who live behind high walls and electric fences.

“I have never received a critique from the real people on the ground who are suffering from these social ills that we experience on a daily basis. The people I serve are the people who go through these problems, so once I get criticised from the people I serve, then I’ll start taking it seriously,” said the leader during an interview with eNCA.

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He believes that the group is not xenophobic but rather a pressure group that makes government work.

Social media weighs in on Operation Dudula’s activities

@francyikopara commented:

“Changing mission from illegal immigrants to mining this must be a multinational organisation. Government security agencies should watch out, it is growing.”

@Malavi_Mapimele wrote:

“Great opportunity or platform for law enforcement in South Africa to rebuild trust and work with the community.”

@BlackNgamla posted:

“Those mining terrorists will kill this young man.”

@Thabo_Ramohapi added:

“Zama-Zamas in Stilfontein and Orkney (Northwest) areas are more dangerous than Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu and heavily armed. Ask anyone from Khuma in Stilfontein.”

South Africa's long history of xenophobia against African foreign nationals goes back as far as 1994

Briefly News also reported in the past few months, tensions between some South Africans and foreign nationals have been on the rise. Like many countries, South Africa has foreign nationals who have left their home countries to seek refuge here, however, the rising tensions in Mzansi have a lot of foreigners feeling unsafe.

Organisations such as Operation Dudula and some political parties such as the Patriotic Alliance and the ActionSA have been very vocal about their contempt for undocumented immigrants living in SA. Such tensions led to the death of Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyati who was supposedly killed by a mob in Diepsloot, North of Johannesburg.

Source: Briefly News