Operation Dudula Member Convicted for Inciting Violence Against Foreigners Following Incriminating Voicenote

• An Operation Dudula mender is facing the consequences of taking the law into his own hands
• Philani Gumede has been convicted for inciting violence after circulating a WhatsApp voicenote that sparked a xenophobic attack
• Gumede called for foreign nationals to be removed from the Durban CBD, which resulted in foreign-owned shops being attacked

DURBAN - An Operation Duluda member has been served justice for trying to take the law into his own hands in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

An incriminating WhatsApp voicenote in which Philani Gumede called for the removal of immigrants from the Durban CDB secured him a conviction for inciting violence.

Gumede's call sparked xenophobic attacks, which led to the property of foreign nationals being damaged and them being attacked in some instances.

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Under the Cybercrimes Act, Gumede was sentenced to a R10 000 fine or three years imprisonment, half suspended for five years, News24 reported.

Gumede rants against foreign-owned shops in Durban

The incident dates back to March 2022 when Gumede sent out a voicenote telling Operation Dudula members that there would be thunder and storm in the Durban CBD, IOL reported.

He informed members that they would remove immigrants by entering foreign-owned businesses, removing all contents and locking up the premises.

Regional Court prosecutor Nomalungelo Ntshangase welcomed the conviction, saying:

"Distributing messages of this nature is tantamount to taking the law into one’s own hands, and such lawlessness will not be tolerated by the courts."

SA welcomes Operation Dudula member's conviction

Below are some comments:

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@StuSJohnson demanded:

"May this precedent be applied to the July insurrection instigators as well as anyone inciting violence in future."

@Judaeda3 criticised:

"Funny, Jacob Zuma's daughter owns South Africa and is free as a bird with what she said and wrote on Twitter during the July unrest. Money and political connections work."

@pommieP1 praised:

"Well, at least one of these disgusting people has been found guilty."

@amontendai_TOTO said:

"The rowdy outfit thought it was a law unto itself. There are consequences for civil disobedience and deliberate madness."

@HonourableMembr added:

"After so much hard work of the investigators, the court will release them to go and incite more violence."

Former Operation Dudula leader sentenced for housebreaking

In another story, Briefly News reported that former Operation Dudula leader Nhlanhla "Lux" Mohlauhi was served the justice he tried to serve an elderly man.

The 35-year-old was convicted on one count of housebreaking with the intent to steal and malicious injury to property on Wednesday, 23 August. The Roodepoort Magistrate's Court handed the ex-eccentric leader two years imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years.

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He was also served another five years imprisonment, suspended for three years on the condition he is not convicted of housebreaking.

Source: Briefly News