Operation Dudula claims most criminal activity is committed by undocumented foreign nationals, many of whom reside in Hillbrow, as tensions continue to simmer over undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa.
Stun grenades, rubber bullets, teargas, and water cannons greeting Operation Dudula members as police attempt to disperse them.
One of the protestors, Nontyatyambo Mhlomi described being shot at with water cannons, “I don’t know the reason behind it, because we were marching peacefully towards our targeted areas. The police suddenly shot water at us without even saying why they’re doing so. They even shot rubber bullets, some marchers were shot in their thighs. We don’t know what we’ve done? Why don’t they tell us? If our government doesn’t want us in South Africa anymore and prefers foreign nationals who enter the country illegally without proper documentation, they must tell us.”
Operation Dudula’s plan was to target hijacked buildings drug lords and foreign informal traders.
They were met with harsh resistance from the police who said their march was not authorized.
This confused organizers, who say they’ve conducted numerous other marches without official authorization, yet they had the backing of police.
Operation Dudula’s Nhlanhla Lux said, “why is it a problem now? The illegal foreigners came out and made sure that the vans that collect money on a daily basis make sure we don’t march. It’s never been a problem to march in any other community. When you talk about a 205 we said we will not march.”
“What we will then do, we’ll get into our cars, we’ll go to where there’s a problem, and you will continue to do with us what you continue to do on a weekly basis. They make a phone call, ‘no no no, our street bosses,’ the illegal damn foreigners, are saying that they are too scared, they don’t want you in the area. You don’t want me, a South African, in a South African area? We’ve got borders in our own country? They are saying some of these people are heavily armed. If these people are armed then we’ll go into a new armed struggle as of today [Saturday].”
As the march was halted, Hillbrow’s foreign residents breathed a sigh of relief.
Operation Dudula has vowed to return to Hillbrow this coming Saturday to continue its operation, this time with the relevant authorization from law enforcement.
Source: eNCA
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