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Ten injured in standoff between foreign vendors and Operation Dudula members

Alex resident says protestors are vigilantes and criminals

Siviwe Feketha Political reporter
Operation Dudula movement members marching near the Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra demanding that illegal foreigners leave their township. Marchers forced shops to close and stop operating.
Operation Dudula movement members marching near the Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra demanding that illegal foreigners leave their township. Marchers forced shops to close and stop operating.
Image: Thulani Mbele

The controversial Operation Dudula campaign was once again marred by violence and complaints from the public in Alexandra yesterday as fights broke out between its members and foreign nationals.

At least 10 people were injured during the violent standoff, according to Alexandra's Dudula Movement leader Simon Rati, whose T-shirt had blood splatters, as he led the group on a march aimed at trying to stop foreigners from trading in the streets of the township’s CBD.

The foreign nationals resisted attempts to have them removed and blocked from vending in the township.

Rati said the violence would not deter the group from continuing with its “cleanup” and that they were planning a shutdown of the township.

“We removed these foreign nationals from the streets and local residents have taken over and are selling, but they came and stoned people and they beat some up,” Rati said.

The Dudula campaign has been criticised by many for encouraging xenophobia and for levels of criminality, while its backers insist that they are protecting their livelihoods from undocumented immigrants.

While the police maintained a heavy presence, Rati and other Dudula members accused them of failing to deal with foreign nationals.

“The police are clearly powerless, hence we are taking matters into our own hands now. We will not apologise for protecting the little economy that we can access, and the government is to blame for this mess of lawlessness here,” he said.

While many shops in Watt Avenue complied and closed their doors, the group faced resistance from one of the establishments, with armed security personnel in plain clothes daring the group to try to force the shop's closure.

Local resident Mandla Sibiya, who was blocked from getting into one of the shops the group tried to close, accused the group of vigilantism and said they also bullied and intimidated residents in their fight against illegal immigrants.

“We are unable to shop now because they tell us. They never come and talk to us but they say they represent us. They are not chasing immigrants now, they are chasing us as well. This is wrong and will not end well,” Sibiya said.

Frans Monareng, one of those injured during the violent exchanges, said he had been selling electrical appliances on the pavement when a group of foreign nationals carrying sticks and stones approached him and others.

“I thought I had ducked but they hit me with a stone in the head. I blame the government for this because they are not solving the problem we are confronted with here. They don’t care about us,” Monareng said.

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