The Socio-Economic Rights Institute says it is not intimidated by threats of being closed down, following the march last week by vigilante anti-immigration group Operation Dudula to the offices of SERI in Johannesburg.

IOL reported last week that despite the heavy police presence monitoring the situation, tensions were high as two opposing protests between Operation Dudula and Abahlali baseMjondolo converged on the corner of Jorissen and Melle streets in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The atmosphere escalated quickly as members of the two movements, which have opposing views on immigration, clashed, resulting in the police using pepper spray to defuse the situation.

On Sunday, Abahlali baseMjondolo’s general secretary Thapelo Mohapi issued a statement, saying members of his organisation are receiving death threats following the clash with Operation Dudula at SERI offices in Braamfontein on Thursday.

“Following Operation Dudula’s humiliation in Braamfontein, our movement has been targeted by a vicious campaign of attack on social media. Some of the profiles participating in this attack are obviously and crudely fake but others are clearly real,” said Mohapi.

“This attack has included numerous death threats.”

He shared some of the death threats made on the Abahlali baseMjondolo Facebook page.

“People making such public death threats must be exposed and held accountable. If we come under attack and it is necessary for us to engage in self-defence we shall do so,” said Mohapi.

“Operation Dudula has no base. They are a small group of fascists who are unable to mobilise popular support and are attacking migrants with the support of authoritarian, corrupt and repressive political forces that want to destroy democracy.”

During the clash on Thursday, Operation Dudula leader, Zandile Dabula, was quoted as saying her organisation would find a way to return and shut down the SERI premises in Braamfontein.

Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on Sunday, Nomzamo Zondo, SERI’s executive director said her organisation will not be intimidated.

“SERI has, in the past 15 years, represented protestors. In fact, the reason I got this job is because I identified as a protester. No protester has ever insisted that they must go inside someone’s offices. Secondly, we are not intimidated by threats of saying they will close us down, because we existed for 12 years before Dudula was even formed,” said Zondo.

“Beyond that, SERI’s work supports thousands of people living in South Africa. It is impossible for an organisation like Dudula to shut us down. Lastly, one thing that concerns us is the continuing death threats, the death threats that were made to us, to our staff, on the day of the protest, including to me. The death threats are being made on social media, on emails, and on telephone calls. 

“That concerns us because those threats are the ones that could result in something catastrophic. At this point, we are calling on Operation Dudula, which sets itself up as a military organisation to exercise some control, to exercise some authority over its membership,” she said.

IOL reported last week that the march against non-governmental organisations like SERI and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) comes just as Operation Dudula, alongside the March in March movement, recently intensified its campaign, preventing undocumented immigrants from accessing healthcare services in some parts of the country.

It is this campaign that has received criticism from the SAHRC as well as the National Department of Health, and other sectors of society, condemning Operation Dudula for turning away those deemed illegal immigrants from accessing free healthcare services.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL News  

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