“Dudula” is isiZulu and means “to expel”. The name says it all: expelling migrants without residence permits from the country is the main concern of the group founded in 2021 in the municipality of Soweto, Johannesburg. The vigilantes' supporters see them as the culprits of drug-related crime and the country's high unemployment rate. According to current data, one in three South Africans is without a job.
“We have to be realistic here, as most of the problems we have are caused by the influx of foreigners,” said Zandile Dabula, who was elected president of Operation Dudula in June, in a recent interview with the BBC. She speculates that foreign citizens are working on a 20-year plan to take over South Africa—but when questioned, she admits that it is a rumor, which she believes to be true.
APA/AFP/Phill Magakoe Members of “Operation Dudula” demonstrate in the South African capital, Pretoria
“Operação Dudula” registered as a political party
With clearly xenophobic slogans, “Operation Dudula” wants to gain control of the levers of power. The vigilante group recently registered as a political party. The plan is to fight for seats in next year's parliamentary elections. The group wants to be present in seven of the nine South African provinces. Specifically, “Operation Dudula” aims to present candidates in 1,500 of the country's 4,468 electoral districts.
The fact that the group's supporters are taking the law into their own hands has so far attracted growing sympathy for the movement. Among other things, these businesspeople demanded that their employees present their work permits, expelled small foreign traders from their places of work, prevented migrants from entering hospitals, according to Doctors Without Borders, and organized protests in front of embassies. The DPA reported in spring 2022 that truck drivers from neighboring countries were driving in convoys for self-protection following brutal attacks on South African routes.
Between hateful slogans and image polishing
The violence is mainly directed against people from other African countries. At the group's first national meeting in Johannesburg in May, the group's supporters – many of whom wore military-style clothing – chanted: “Burn the foreigner,” according to the BBC. Let's go to the gas station, buy gas and burn the alien.” The movement was sued by civil rights groups for illegal evictions and inadequate citizenship checks.
However, the group wants to change its image before the 2024 elections, as the Guardian reports. “We want to demilitarize Operation Dudula,” spokesman Isaac Lesole told the newspaper. “Now that we have taken a new stance, we have to make sure that we can still achieve a lot without people being militant and killing or kicking things. As a political party, different rules apply to us,” he said. The movement adheres to xenophobic ideology. It is unclear how his future program will be structured.
Mass migration myth
Xenophobic rhetoric from politicians, public figures and vigilantes has fueled the myth that the country is being invaded by immigrants, says the BBC. However, this is not reflected in the numbers: South Africa has a population of almost 60 million (as of 2021). The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) estimates the number of migrants in the country at 3.95 million. This represents 6.5% of the population, the report continues. According to the ISS, this includes all immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
The majority of the population would consider foreign citizens to be a threat, experts have warned, citing data from the 2021 South African Social Attitudes Survey. Xenophobia has increased since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Riots as origin
“Operation Dudula” was formed in response to the riots that broke out in June 2021 in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. In the absence of the police, vigilante groups were formed to protect local businesses from thieves and robberies. The city of Soweto, where the vigilante movement originated, was once at the forefront of resistance against apartheid and was the home of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first democratically elected president.
ISS researcher Lizette Lancaster told the Guardian that the “chronic failure” of the South African state – specifically, rampant corruption, high unemployment and violence – created the right fertile ground for the group's success.
“People are desperate, they are suffering, and as a result they turn to the most vulnerable and easiest targets, which are migrants, especially illegal migrants and those who are undocumented,” said Dale McKinley of the anti- racism Kopanang Africa Against. Xenophobia (KAAX) on Al-Jazeera. In fact, migrants do not represent a burden, but rather make a significant contribution to the economy, according to Nomzamo Zondo of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI).
“Operation Dudula” is not expected to win majorities in the 2024 elections. “The fragmented nature of South African politics means that small parties can influence the formation of coalition governments – and demand large concessions in return,” the paper continues.
ANC fights against xenophobic policies
Established parties such as the ruling African National Congress (ANC) have difficulty dealing with the emerging movement. President Cyril Ramaphosa in April described Operation Dudula as a “vigilante-like force” carrying out “illegal actions” against foreigners. However, support for the ANC has been declining among the population for years – polls suggest the party could fall below the 50 percent mark for the first time.
But in addition to Ramaphosa's criticism, xenophobic slogans can also be found in the ANC: ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe stated in an interview with the “Mail&Guardian” last year that “Operation Dudula” confirmed the ANC's views. Foreigners, he said, would come to the country to sell drugs and run illegal businesses. Given the climate in the country, the radical left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has also called for more South Africans to work in pubs. “Ultimately, Dudula will not be the only right-wing or anti-immigrant party,” said Amir Sheikh, spokesman for the African Diaspora Forum.