Anti-immigration political movement Operation Dudula has vowed to rid wards under its control of undocumented foreign nationals if elected in South Africa’s November 4 local government elections, placing immigration enforcement at the centre of its campaign.
The organisation, which has experienced internal divisions and leadership changes since transitioning into a political party, is seeking to regain political relevance by appealing to South Africans frustrated with illegal immigration and pressure on public services.
Operation Dudula president Sbongile Maseko confirmed that the party would contest in several major metropolitan municipalities across three provinces, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, eThekwini and Cape Town.
“Operation Dudula is in the ballot paper on the 4th of November. Please go out there and look for this logo on the ballot paper,” Maseko said in an announcement.
The party is positioning its campaign around claims that undocumented foreign nationals place additional pressure on public infrastructure and compete with South Africans for access to housing, healthcare, education and other municipal services.
Operation Dudula promises immigration crackdown in wards it controls
Maseko said the organisation had built support through campaigns targeting undocumented migrants at public facilities, including hospitals and schools.
She pointed to previous Operation Dudula activities in which members physically prevented foreign nationals from accessing healthcare services and intervened in school placement disputes.
The organisation has also claimed responsibility for forcibly removing foreign nationals from properties it alleges were hijacked and placing South Africans in those homes.
Building on these activities, Maseko made a sweeping promise about what residents should expect if the party wins control of municipal wards.
“One thing that we are going to promise you as Operation Dudula is that any ward that is governed and managed by Operation Dudula, there will be no illegal aliens residing in those wards,” she said.
Maseko argued that municipalities needed accurate information about the number of people living in their jurisdictions to manage demand for electricity, water, healthcare, schools and other infrastructure.
She also alleged that undocumented migrants contributed to crime and placed additional pressure on already strained public services.
However, the party’s promise raises questions about how a municipal administration would implement such a policy, given that immigration enforcement falls under national government rather than the responsibilities of local councils.
Leadership divisions pushed Operation Dudula into political obscurity
Operation Dudula’s latest electoral campaign follows a turbulent period marked by internal disagreements and leadership changes.
The organisation struggled to maintain its prominence after transitioning from an anti-immigration pressure group into a political party.
Its internal divisions coincided with the emergence of March and March, which gained visibility as a platform for anti-immigration activism.
The instability also resulted in the departure of former president Zandile Dabula, who subsequently joined ActionSA and has been touted as a potential member of the party’s mayoral committee in the City of Johannesburg.
Under new leadership, Operation Dudula is now attempting to rebuild its political identity around its established anti-immigration activism.
Operation Dudula faces competition for the anti-immigration vote
The party’s electoral ambitions come amid competition from several political formations that have also made immigration a prominent campaign issue.
The Patriotic Alliance, African Transformation Movement and ActionSA have all attracted attention for their positions on immigration and undocumented foreign nationals.
March and March has also emerged as a prominent voice in anti-immigration activism, although it is not contesting the elections as a registered political party.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party is another political formation whose position on immigration could feature in the contest for voters concerned about undocumented migration.
Operation Dudula previously contested the 2024 general elections but made little electoral impact after registering late amid internal power struggles.
Its participation in the November 4 local government elections will provide another opportunity to translate its street-level activism into electoral support.
With Maseko now promising to remove undocumented foreign nationals from wards governed by the party, Operation Dudula is making immigration enforcement the defining feature of its local government campaign.