'OperationDudula is illegal'

THE Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) in South Africa has slammed the #OperationDudula group which has recently been conducting "clean up" operations targeting illegal foreign nationals in Soweto and other parts of Johannesburg in which they evicted them from their rented homes and informal trading stalls.

This comes after the group descended on Bara Taxi Rank and Turffontein last week and chased those they deemed to be illegal immigrants, accusing them of being responsible for criminality and of taking economic opportunities away from South Africans by hijacking stalls and breaking bylaws.

The "clean-up", unsupported by any legal entity such as the police or home affairs, which the organisation said were focused on ending alleged illegal activities and removing unlawful immigrants, has been under way since June last year.

Zimbabweans are reportedly living in fear of xenophobic attacks following a wave of violence targeting foreign nationals in that country. There have been reports of violence against foreign nationals in areas such as Diepkloof, Rosebank and Turfontein amid fear that it might spread.

Videos have been circulating on social media showing South Africans co-ordinating the attacks under the hashtag #Operation Dudula targeting Zimbabwean nationals and other foreign nationals living in rented houses, and surviving on informal trading.

Zimbabwe Community in South Africa spokesperson Bongani Mkhwananzi urged the South African government to intervene to save lives and property.

"This is really shocking, and we need to engage the South African government on this crackdown on Zimbabweans," Mkhwananzi said.