Operation Dudula accuses government of failing immigration enforcement

Operation Dudula has accused the South African government and the country’s law enforcement agencies, including the justice system, of continuously failing South Africans over the lack of implementation of the country’s immigration laws.

On Thursday, Zandile Dubula, leader of the movement, briefed the media following this week’s Johannesburg High Court judgment in which she and her members were interdicted from stopping undocumented immigrants from public healthcare facilities.

Dubula stated that the government's failure to enforce the country’s immigration laws has resulted in the current immigration crisis.

Her remarks come as Judge Leicester Adams of the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg declared Dubula and her members' recent campaign in schools and public healthcare facilities “unlawful” and unconstitutional.

The South Gauteng High Court’s decision, delivered by Judge Leicester Adams, specifically prohibited Dubula and her members from demanding that individuals present passports or identity documents as proof of their rights to remain in South Africa. Dubula’s comments underscore a growing concern that the government's inaction regarding immigration enforcement has led to a crisis, eroding public trust and exacerbating social tensions

“The first respondent [Operation Dudula], the eleventh [Zandile Dabula] and twelfth [Dan Radebe] respondents be and are hereby interdicted and restrained from demanding that any private person produce her/his passport or other identity documents to demonstrate her/his right to be in the Republic,” Adams wrote in his judgment.

Dubula further accused government agencies of failing to heed their call for proper implementation of the country's immigration laws, which are at the centre of the movement's call to action, adding that the movement’s efforts over the past five years have been ignored by the government and human rights activists.

“Operation Dudula has submitted more than 100 memorandums in the past four years to the Presidency, the Department of Home Affairs, and other state agencies, urging them to enforce applicable laws…Poor enforcement of immigration laws is not only reckless, but is also tantamount to sacrificing the majority of voiceless South African citizens who are forced to share limited resources with illegal immigrants,” she stated.

On the recent high court ruling, which interdicted her and her members, Dubula said, while the movement remains committed to the rule of law, the government should be held accountable for failing to prevent the current crisis of illegal immigration.

“We call on all members and supporters to respect the ruling for now, while our legal team pursues the appeal process. We further urge all South Africans to remain vigilant, and exercise their rights responsibly under the law…The judgment sets a dangerous precedent that may weaken law enforcement, erode the State’s capacity to manage illegal immigration,” she added.