No unit to deal with Operation Dudula’s actions, says top cop

NATIONAL Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola stated that there is no specialised police unit dedicated to handling Operation Dudula and similar movements across the country that prevent undocumented foreigners from accessing healthcare services.

Although their actions are unlawful, Masemola explained that the police’s Public Order Policing (POP) will only intervene if public disturbances occur.

Masemola made these comments during a media briefing in Olifantsfontein, Pretoria, yesterday morning.

This marked the first time Masemola publicly addressed the issue, following ongoing reports of Operation Dudula and the March and March Movement denying undocumented migrants access to public health facilities.

“On Operation Dudula, we don’t have a unit specifically to deal with them. We have Public Order Policing (POP) countrywide, and their job is to deal with crowd management,” Masemola said.

According to SAPS, the POP Unit is responsible for maintaining public order, managing public gatherings, major events and protests.

“So wherever there are problems, they do go out and assist,” Masemola explained.

“They cannot wait at a clinic just in case something happens – they have a lot of other work to do.

“But as and when we have an indication that there may be a problem, we will respond to those health institutions accordingly.”

Masemola was responding to a question about whether SAPS has a specific plan to deal with ongoing incidents involving Operation Dudula at health facilities.

Police, including POP officers, have been deployed to some affected clinics to restore order.

Operation Dudula, an anti-migrant group, launched a national campaign in June to prevent undocumented foreign nationals from receiving treatment at public healthcare facilities.

The group claims the public health system is overburdened and should prioritise South African citizens.

Their actions, especially in Gauteng, have sparked outrage from government officials and human rights organisations.

However, some community members have voiced support for the movement.

A similar group, the March and March Movement, has also been involved in blocking undocumented migrants from health facilities in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Earlier this month, three women members of Operation Dudula were arrested following an incident at the Lilian Ngoyi Clinic in Diepkloof, Soweto.

The women, aged between 49 and 60, allegedly stormed the clinic’s maternity ward and demanded that patients produce identity documents to prove their nationality.

Their aggressive questioning disrupted medical services and caused significant distress among both patients and staff.

In response, clinic staff and patients reportedly locked the women inside one of the labour wards before calling the police.

The women were arrested at the scene, appeared in the Orlando Magistrates’ Court and were subsequently released on a warning.