Nigerians living in South Africa have raised the alarm over a fresh wave of xenophobic threats by an anti-migrant group known as Operation Dudula.
Leaders of Nigerian communities are calling for urgent diplomatic intervention following reports of attacks and harassment allegedly spearheaded by the group, which has been accused of blocking foreigners from accessing public hospitals.
The outcry comes amid sustained harassment that began earlier this year, fuelling fears of another round of xenophobic violence.
In a viral video clip seen by Saturday PUNCH, one of the group’s leaders was captured ordering foreigners out of a public hospital.
“If you know yourself that you are not a South African, please stand up. Stand up right now. Don’t try us because we are going to check everybody,” he declared while marching them out of the facility.
Founded as a grassroots campaign, Operation Dudula claims to be fighting illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and what it calls the unlawful takeover of jobs and services by undocumented foreigners.
According to reports, members of the group have been blocking clinics, inspecting businesses, and confronting immigrants.
Nigerian leaders demand intervention
In separate interviews with Saturday PUNCH, leaders of Nigerian associations and affected residents recounted harrowing experiences and warned that the crisis had reached an alarming level.
The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Frank Onyekwelu, described the attacks as another wave of xenophobia targeted at foreign nationals.
“We have cried out at this ill-treatment, which we see as another form of xenophobic attack, as they are expressing hate and injustice against foreign nationals. We are not happy with it,” he told Saturday PUNCH.
Onyekwelu said the Nigerian community had already reached out to political groups and immigration bodies to express concerns.
He urged both governments to intervene diplomatically.
The community leader narrated disturbing cases, including women giving birth on bare floors outside hospitals without medical care, and patients being discharged without treatment.
“Imagine a woman giving birth on a bare floor in an open space in front of a hospital without getting any antenatal care and the assistance of a midwife.
“Some patients are being forcefully discharged from hospitals without proper treatment and care. What if it is a life-and-death situation? Some of them would just die like chickens,” he lamented.
He disclosed that while those who could afford it were being encouraged to seek help in private clinics, Nigerian doctors had stepped in to assist victims pending when the crisis would be resolved.
The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Smart Nwobi, also condemned the continuous harassment of Nigerians and other foreign nationals by members of Operation Dudula.
Nwobi told Saturday PUNCH that the situation had reached an alarming level as he cited a recent case involving a nursing mother who was barred from taking her baby for immunisation at a public hospital.
“I got a disturbing call this morning from another lady. She just gave birth to a baby, so she went to the hospital to get immunised. She had an appointment with the doctor at the clinic. But members of Operation Dudula barred her from entering the hospital.
“It is really alarming. We are appealing to the government to deploy security agents to protect public facilities so that criminals will not continue taking the law into their hands,” he said.
According to him, the group is not an official arm of government but a coalition of natives who accuse foreigners of depriving South Africans of opportunities.
He noted, however, that some of those spearheading the campaign were not even South Africans by birth.
“For instance, the young man you saw in the viral video chasing foreigners out of the hospital is a South African by descent and Nigerian by birth. He has dual citizenship.
“According to these people, if you can’t speak the South African language, you are not a citizen of the country. But they have forgotten that you can be a citizen by naturalisation,” he added.
Describing the group as “criminals,” Nwobi said the actions had continued despite condemnation by South African authorities.
“Some of the foreigners being denied access to public hospitals do not have the funds to go to private hospitals. The operation is purely illegal as it violates Section 27 of the South African Constitution,” he stated.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH in August, Nwobi had described Operation Dudula’s raids as sheer forms of afrophobia.
He had noted that the group threatened that by next year they would stop foreigners, including Nigerians, from attending public schools.
Nwobi insisted that the actions were coordinated and must be stopped.
Speaking on Thursday, the NUSA leader disclosed that the Nigerian community had reported the matter to the Nigerian Embassy, which had promised to engage South African authorities diplomatically.
The African Diaspora Forum, he added, was also considering legal action, including filing an injunction at the South African High Court and meeting with the country’s president and political parties.
Another Nigerian living in South Africa, who pleaded anonymity, also described Operation Dudula members as “criminals,” accusing them of carrying out illegal activities under the guise of community activism.
“They’re simply criminals. Other political organisations have already started campaigns against them. The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, has even demanded investigations into the Operation Dudula movement, describing them as a group of thugs,” he said.
He urged the South African government to demonstrate neutrality by cracking down on the group.
A Nigerian woman who relocated to South Africa two weeks ago, Ify Eze, said an immigration officer referred to her as “a crazy Nigerian” at the airport.
“The hostility, especially from some members of the Zulu community, is overwhelming. They make life extremely difficult for us. If you manage to get through immigration without issues, it truly feels like divine intervention.”
Ex-diplomats weigh in
Reacting to the matter, a former Nigerian Consul to Cameroon and ex-Director of Trade and Investment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rasheed Akinkuolie, described the treatment of foreigners in South Africa as illegal and criminal.
He questioned why the attacks seemed to target Black individuals while leaving whites untouched.
“The harassment of Africans and Nigerians by gangs in South Africa is illegal, unauthorised, and acts of thuggery to tarnish the image of the South African government. These acts are vestiges of the apartheid mindset,” Akinkuolie told Saturday PUNCH.
“Why are the criminals not doing the same to the white population—their real oppressors?” he asked.
Akinkuolie urged Nigerians living in South Africa to ensure their residence documents are valid to avoid complications but insisted that South African authorities must take responsibility.
He suggested that the Nigerian government summon the South African Ambassador in Nigeria to demand urgent intervention before the situation spiralled out of control.
Similarly, a retired Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, condemned the expulsion of foreigners from public facilities in South Africa, warning that such actions could strain diplomatic relations.
“This will bring about a diplomatic spark between South Africa and countries of affected individuals. It will also dent African solidarity, which does not augur well for intra- and inter-African relations,” Amedu-Ode cautioned.
He urged Abuja to press Pretoria on its responsibility to protect all residents, including Nigerians.
“The onus is on South Africa to provide safety and security for people in their country,” he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that African Ambassadors in South Africa are in talks with the government to secure a lasting solution to the crisis.
“African Ambassadors in South Africa are engaging the South African Government,” the ministry spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, told our correspondent.
