Operation Dudula on the spread

Masilela Oupa

@lwandlemasilel1 (Oupa Masilela the journalist)

Oupa.work@gmail.com/MasilelaO@tut.ac.za

Operation Dudula is a movement led by 36-year-old Nhlanhla 'Lux', born Nhlanhla Paballo Mohlauli. Labelled by some as “xenophobic and dangerous”, it was founded in Soweto a few months after the July 2021 riots that erupted when former president Jacob Zuma was sentenced to jail for contempt of court. The aim of the movement is to get rid of illegal immigrants and sustain local economy.

The operation was recently launched in Durban. This comes after it was all over the news because of its campaigns around places like Soweto and Alexander. Nhlanhla “Lux” was arrested few weeks ago in Johannesburg on allegations of assault and damage to property of a Soweto resident Victor Ramerafe, Who is believed to be one of the drug dealers in the area.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema labelled Nhlanhla as a criminal who attacks innocent black Africans. EFFSC activist at Vaal University of technology Mandisi concurred with Malema on an interview and said “Look, my fundamental problem with this campaign is, its lack of the socio-economic critique of South Africa's reality. The entire colonial capitalist modernity is not critiqued by Operation Dudula, all it singles out are foreign nationals. So these are my difficulties with the whole campaign”.

Mandi further said “Look, it all begins from the critique of the policy trajectory of government, which has been a neo-liberal ideology. Neo-liberalism seeks to keep the state out of economic power and control in favor of the market. The market is controlled by those with wealth who owns the means of production. The owners of the means of production in South Africa are white. Therefore, to move towards a market-oriented control of the economy is to sustain white domination over the black majority. This is the socio-economic critique Operation Dudula fails to grapple with in its discourse. Furthermore, a colonial capitalist modernity is explained by Frantz Fanon in the Wretched of the Earth about the relation of Capital in Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on an interview with journalists after the closing of the ANC provincial conference expressed that operation Dudula should be stopped. “Let us all operate within the parameters of the law, let us work within the framework of the law” said Ramaphosa.

Some citizens in concurring with views of operation Dudula think the movement has solid grounds to operate in the manner they operate. The movement preaches moral of anti-immigrants or anti-illegal immigrants in South Africa. It is a very broad concept that needs critical analysis in a political perspective. It's no secret that South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world. One would ask themselves about how consistent racial disparities keep on widening with about 10 percent of the population owns more than 80 percent of the wealth. Such inequalities cause frustration and strong hatred in the poverty stricken ground. We have seen black people fighting against each other, crime, and other sorts of frustration. 

An estimated 10 million people in South Africa live below the food poverty line, while the unemployment rate is at a record high of almost 40 percent amongst Black South Africans according to Statistics South Africa.

Poverty, unemployment and crime are apparently the greatest sources of contention as Operation Dudula and its members believe that illegal foreigners – and sometimes “foreigners” in general depending on who you ask – are the reason that South Africa’s public socioeconomic systems do not benefit its native Black majority.

Leadership of operation Dudula seem to have valid arguments to backup or support the organization. As a citizen of the country, I condemn any form of crime and xenophobic behavior towards immigrants. I believe that the South African government should find meaningful ways to resolve issues and restore calm and peace”, said Shungube Phesheya, a resident in Pretoria.

Despite the mounting of calls by some politician to stop operation Dudula, Nhlanhla “Lux” Dlamini on his Facebook official page lambasted the eff CIC Julius Malema and the former EFF spokesperson Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi,” every time you hear politicians like Mbuyiseni, Malema and their minions say something brainless, you don’t have to reply to them, because it is nonsense to show every barking dog a way! These are small boys have tiny brain”, Dlamini wrote.

On his twitter page he further argued by saying “the Zimbabwean president has made it clear that we are dealing with wanted criminals that fled Zimbabwe hence South Africa in under attack with violent crimes by illegal foreigners”.

Operation Dudula recently launched in Durban Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN) and it is expected to spread wings to provinces like Mpumalanga.