National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has said that there was no dedicated police unit to deal with Operation Dudula and other movements around the country that are blocking undocumented  foreigners from accessing healthcare services.

While their actions are illegal, Masemola said that the police’s Public Order Policing (POP) will only respond if public disruptions occur.

Masemola made the remarks during a media briefing in Olifantsfontein, Pretoria, on Thursday morning, where he oversaw the destruction of more than R400 million worth of confiscated drugs.

This was the first time Masemola has publicly commented on the issue, following continued reports of Operation Dudula and the March and March Movement barring undocumented migrants from seeking medical treatment at public health care facilities.

“On Operation Dudula, we don’t have a unit specifically to deal with them. We have Public Order Policing (POP) countrywide, and their job is to deal with crowd management,” Masemola said.

According to SAPS, the POP Unit is responsible for maintaining public order, managing public gatherings, major events and protests.

“So wherever there are problems, they do go out and assist,” Masemola explained. 

“They cannot wait at a clinic just in case something happens – they have a lot of other work to do. But as and when we have an indication that there may be a problem, we will respond to those health institutions accordingly.”

Masemola was responding to a question about whether SAPS has a specific plan to deal with ongoing incidents involving Operation Dudula at health facilities. 

Police, including POP officers, have been deployed to some affected clinics to restore order.

Operation Dudula, an anti-migrant group, launched a national campaign in June to prevent undocumented foreign nationals from receiving treatment at public healthcare facilities. 

The group claims the public health system is overburdened and should prioritise South African citizens.

Their actions, especially in Gauteng, have sparked outrage from government officials and human rights organisations. 

However, some community members have voiced support for the movement.

A similar group, the March and March Movement, has also been involved in blocking undocumented migrants from health facilities in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Earlier this month, three women members of Operation Dudula were arrested following an incident at the Lilian Ngoyi Clinic in Diepkloof, Soweto.

The women, aged between 49 and 60, allegedly stormed the clinic’s maternity ward and demanded that patients produce identity documents to prove their nationality. 

Their aggressive questioning disrupted medical services and caused significant distress among both patients and staff.

In response, clinic staff and patients reportedly locked the women inside one of the labour wards before calling the police. 

SAPS officers arrested the suspects at the scene.

Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that the women were charged with contravening the National Health Act, public violence, and other related offences. 

They appeared in the Orlando Magistrates’ Court and were released on a warning.

IOL News previously reported that crime expert Thabang Bogopa explained that being released on warning means that the suspects were charged but granted free bail.

“The South African Constitution allows for individuals to be released on warning,” he said. 

“For instance, if students are arrested during a protest at a university, they may be charged, given free bail, and provided with a court date. This gives the state time to gather more evidence and submit the case docket to the prosecution for a decision.”

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL News

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