The group says its actions are a response to the government’s failure to address the strain that undocumented migrants allegedly place on the country’s already overstretched healthcare system.

Operation Dudula President Zandile Dabula said the mobilisation was prompted by frustration after failed efforts to engage officials on the matter.

“This has a negative impact on us as citizens,” Dabula said. “We are the taxpayers, yet undocumented foreigners, many of whom don’t contribute to the tax base, are using our public services without consequence. And nobody is speaking out.”

She further alleged that the group had uncovered criminal activity linked to public hospital medication, claiming that some foreign nationals were collecting medicines from clinics and selling them across the border.

“We’ve come across cases where people take medication from various healthcare facilities, then send it to their countries of origin,” Dabula said. “Just last month, we saw a bus heading to Zimbabwe carrying a stockpile of medicine. It’s happening because government systems aren’t communicating with one another, and they know it.”

Operation Dudula has faced widespread criticism for its tactics, which many have labelled xenophobic. However, the group maintains that its actions are rooted in civic responsibility and a demand for tighter immigration controls.

--ChannelAfrica--