Ramaphosa says Operation Dudula is a ‘vigilante force’, won’t support it

President Cyril Ramaphosa said recently that the African National Congress (ANC) cannot support Operation Dudula. Ramaphosa spoke about the headline-making movement during the ANC’s Mpumalanga conference over the weekend.

Ramaphosa condemns movement

Ramaphosa described Nhlanhla ‘Lux’ Dlamini’s Operation Dudula as a “vigilante-like force”.

“We cannot support a vigilante-type-of move against a group of people and particularly targeting them as foreign nationals because what we are doing then is just to divide our people on the African continent,” said Ramaphosa.

ANC members seem to differ in their thoughts

ANC National Spokesperson Pule Mabe had a bit of a different opinion to Ramaphosa. In an interview with a well-known publication, Mabe stated that he was in support of communities that stood up to illegal activities. 

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Operation Dudula has been a nationwide topic of discussion. Nhlanhla Lux was recently arrested and charged while members of the group have pledged their undying support for the movement.

Fees Must Fall’s Bonginkosi Khanyile shows support for Operation Dudula

The Operation Dudula movement has gained the backing of Fees Must Fall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile. Nhlanhla ‘Lux’ Dlamini’s movement has been making headlines for conducting inspections and raids of establishments, with the aim of finding undocumented foreign nationals.

ALSO READ: ‘We can’t treat them like animals’: Nxesi lambasts Operation Dudula

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Khanyile stated that Government needs to address Operation Dudula and people who share the same beliefs with members.

Khanyile believes that people in places of authority must make equal decisions and South Africans should have a voice in the issues. He explained that politicians need to make their stance clear in terms of issues brought forward by the movement.

Khanyile is a former member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). He was criticised by EFF Secretary-General Marshall Dlamini. Dlamini called on the Red Berets to treat Khanyile as an enemy.

Khanyile shared that the criticism he has faced with regard to Operation Dudula has not fazed him. In Khanyile’s words, Operation Dudula is not against foreign nationals, it is against illegal foreign nationals. Read the full story here.