Civil society groups stand firm with rights institute against Operation Dudula protest

Operation Dudula’s mission to march to the offices of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (Seri) and hand over a memorandum to the civil society organisation fell flat on Thursday, 17 July, when the anti-migrant group was confronted by several rights groups that had gathered outside Seri’s offices.

The anti-migrant group descended on the office in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, accusing the organisation of being “unpatriotic” and protecting undocumented migrants (who they deem to be criminals) by providing them with legal support. It accused the South African Human Rights Commission and the Helen Suzman Foundation of doing the same.

However, as Operation Dudula marched from Mary Fitzgerald Square to Nzunza House, where the Seri offices are located, several civil society organisations gathered outside the building in a show of solidarity with the rights organisation.

“We are here today to show solidarity to Seri, the Human Rights Commission, as well as the Helen Suzman Foundation, who have been attacked by Operation Dudula,” said Thapelo Mohapi, chairperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo. “We are here for humanity, we are here to protect humanity and to protect our Constitution, which is now under attack more than ever.”

Abahlali baseMjondolo’s red-clad supporters were present in large numbers. Also there were members of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), SECTION27, the Institute for Economic Justice, Equal Education and several other civil society groups.

While the crowd waited for Operation Dudula to arrive, they sang and danced, and their leaders voiced messages of support for Seri.

“We know Operation Dudula are angry and we understand why, but they are directing their anger at the wrong people. Our issue in South Africa is not migrants,” said KAAX’s Dale McKinley.

“Our issue is poverty, unemployment, corruption and persistent budget cuts, but instead of directing their attention on holding the government accountable for those problems, Operation Dudula is targeting vulnerable people who had no part in creating them.”

Read more: When lies Trump truth — debunking the migrant myth in South Africa’s healthcare crisis

Tense showdown

The sizeable crowd of green and white-clad Operation Dudula members arrived at the offices at 12.30, an hour later than expected, and what had been a peaceful gathering turned into a tense showdown between the organisations gathered to support Seri and the anti-migrant group.

A throng of red and a mass of green and white military-style regalia were separated by a thin blue line of police officers.

Operation Dudula members, some of them wielding sjamboks, hurled insults at the Seri supporters, calling them “makwerekwere” (a derogatory term for Africans born outside South Africa), threatening to beat them and telling them to go back home — even though most appeared to be South African citizens.

Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dubula told a member of the South African Police Service that the police must remove the Seri supporters.

“We will not hand over the memorandum with these people here. Our members want to stand here and sing. They must move, our people must stand there,” said Dubula.

The standoff between Operation Dudula and the civil society organisations lasted for more than an hour, with tensions mounting. An Operation Dudula member lunged at the police, who retaliated with pepper spray.

Nkosinathi Sithole, Seri’s director of litigation, said, “If [Operation Dudula] say they are submitting a memorandum at Seri, they should know exactly who Seri’s clients are, who Seri fight for, as opposed to the misconception they are presenting in the media.”

Daily Maverick has reported on the court action of several rights groups to stop Operation Dudula from assaulting or harassing foreign nationals and impeding access to healthcare services and schools for the children of international migrants.

Read more: New mothers denied access to Gauteng health facilities by anti-migrant groups

The groups accused Operation Dudula of illegally demanding that individuals produce identity documents to prove their right to be in South Africa, and obstructing migrant’s access to healthcare facilities and schools.

Judgment in the matter has been reserved.

Read more: A sickening situation as xenophobic groups prevent migrants from accessing healthcare 

Memorandum undelivered

Addressing her organisation’s members, Dubula accused the police of colluding with Seri by refusing to remove the crowd that had gathered to support the organisation, insisting that she would not hand over the memorandum while they were present.

Dubula and the Operation Dudula members left with the memorandum undelivered, hurling insults and singing derogatory songs.

Dubula told Daily Maverick, “They [the Seri supporters] definitely took us by surprise. We have never come across such a situation. We are not doing anything wrong; we applied [to protest], and we have the right to be here. We didn’t expect to get resistance, but this means that Seri is breaking laws because we have all the right to submit memorandums and Seri must be dealt with.”

Sithole said Seri was disappointed that Operation Dudula left without delivering its memorandum, because the organisation was looking forward to engaging with the group.

“We were very much prepared to receive Operation Dudula’s memorandum and to understand their concerns and make Seri’s position clear to them. I think this is a sign that they had no intention to deliver the memo, because we were ready to accept it, and they refused,” he said.

“The reason they are taken aback is because they have a false perception about Seri as an organisation. We represent millions of South Africans.

“This was a good sign for them, and they must not see it as a sign of war or whatever, they must see it as an opportunity to look at these people with a different perspective. Let us understand them and let us engage so we can all build a safer South Africa.” DM