Operation Dudula To Continue Operations in Schools, South Africa Reacts

• Operation Dudula, which launched a campaign to remove illegal immigrants from public healthcare facilities, sets its sights on schools
• The organisation said that it will continue its operations after it announced last year that it would be removing illegal foreigners' children from schools
• The organisation added that it will be campaigning for unemployed teachers and slammed the online application

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.

JOHANNESBURG — Operation Dudula said on 5 January 2026 that it would continue its campaign to remove the children of illegal immigrants from schools, a campaign it announced in 2025.

Operation Dudula gathered in Diepkloof, Johannesburg, with parents whose children have not been placed for the 2026 academic year. Dudula previously visited a primary school in the township on 22 September 2025. According to Newzroom Afrika, Operation Dudula's campaign is national. A Dudula member said that Operation Dudula tackles pertinent issues in the country, including overcrowding at schools.

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Operation Dudula discusses challenges in education

The member said that children are still not placed in schools. He said that South African teachers are unemployed and alleged that the Department of Basic Education hires foreign nationals as teachers over South Africans. He said the biggest problem is the process of applying online.

Dudula comments on high court interdict

The spokesperson also noted that the South Gauteng High Court's interdict against it prevents it from going to schools and clinics. This was after Operation Dudula appeared before the court on 11 November 2025. Various organisations, including Abahlali BaseMjondolo, applied to block Dudula from removing foreign nationals from public healthcare facilities.

He called on members of the public whose children have not been registered to approach Operation Dudula, who will speak to the Department of Basic Education for assistance.

"These are the children who are not placed in schools because of this complicated system of applying online," he said.

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He also added that it is Operation Dudula's mission to place every unplaced child in school. He said the online application system is cumbersome. The spokesperson also said that the organisation will fight for unemployed teachers. He said Dudua identified schools where it could send the unemployed teachers' CVs.

Operation Dudula unfazed by court order

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Operation Dudula was unfazed after the Gauteng High Court granted an interdict to prevent the organisation from removing foreign nationals from public healthcare facilities. The organisation's president, Zandile Dabula, said that the organisation planned to appeal the ruling.

Dabula said that South Africans were tired of the illegality allegedly committed by foreign nationals. However, Wits University migration expert, Professor Loren Landau, spoke to Briefly News about Dudula's actions. He said the government must be held accountable for fostering discrimination and violence in South Africa.

Source: Briefly News