The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has admitted that it is short-staffed following ongoing concerns over vigilantism in the city linked to Operation Dudula, which claims to enforce municipal by-laws. 

The metro police have also clarified that it neither supports nor works with the anti-migrant group turned into a political party.

This comes after growing unease among informal traders in Johannesburg, who have voiced concern about Operation Dudula’s activities. 

The group has been allegedly inspecting informal traders and reclaiming buildings, claiming to enforce municipal by-laws.

Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Joburg mayor Dada Morero said that by-law enforcement is the responsibility of the city and the JMPD, not community groups.

“By-law enforcement is the terrain of the city; it is the terrain of the Johannesburg Metro Police, and the city must do its work. Otherwise, you will have organisations getting frustrated, and you will see Dudula going there, when in fact it is the work of the city,” Morero said. 

“By-law enforcement does not belong to Dudula; it belongs to the city to enforce its laws.”

According to the metro, there are between 20,000 and 25,000 informal traders operating across Johannesburg. 

It has also announced that informal traders will be charged between R50 and R100 to rent public facilities in order to sell their products.

The city clarified that many traders initially misunderstood the process, explaining that permits, rolled out two weeks ago, will initially be free of charge.

Morero’s comments come as the city has launched a high-impact by-law enforcement operation targeting non-compliant traders, as part of its broader efforts to restore order and combat urban decay ahead of the G20 Summit in Gauteng next month.

However, some informal traders have been forced out of their livelihoods amid challenges with obtaining proper trading permits.

The JMPD clarified that it does not support, collaborate with, or work with Operation Dudula or any other unregistered community group in enforcing municipal by-laws.

“As stated by mayor Dada Morero, the responsibility for enforcing city by-laws rests strictly with the City of Johannesburg and its designated law enforcement entities, primarily the JMPD. Operation Dudula is a political and community-based organisation, and the JMPD’s mandate does not permit us to delegate or share our law enforcement authority with non-statutory bodies,” said JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla.

He added that any actions taken by such groups to “enforce” by-laws, inspect traders, or reclaim buildings are not sanctioned by the JMPD and fall outside the legal framework of municipal law enforcement.

Fihla acknowledged that the metro police department is short-staffed following public complaints about the lack of police visibility, a concern many believe contributes to growing vigilantism in Johannesburg.

“It is publicly acknowledged that the JMPD, like many municipal departments, faces significant resource and capacity challenges that impact our ability to maintain a consistent presence across all areas of a large city like Johannesburg,” he said.

“That’s why the JMPD is collaborating with critical partners and stakeholders such as SAPS, Gauteng Community Safety, and authorised private security to cover these gaps.”

He added that the city administration is actively addressing these challenges as part of its commitment to restoring law and order and improving JMPD’s operational capacity.

According to Fihla, Morero’s remarks reaffirm the constitutional and statutory mandate of the city and the JMPD.

“It is a necessary and clear demarcation of legal authority, reinforcing that law enforcement is a state function and cannot be privatised or delegated to unelected, non-statutory groups like Operation Dudula,” he told IOL News.

“However, it is also a realistic acknowledgement that lawlessness and urban decay have become significant challenges, indicating that current enforcement efforts need to be intensified and made more effective.”

Fihla said Morero’s recent by-law enforcement operations, which unite multiple city departments, are a direct response to the need for stronger enforcement and a demonstration of the city’s commitment to reclaiming public spaces and restoring order.

“The City is not denying the severity of the challenge,” he added, “but rather asserting its sole authority to address it through legal and structured means, rather than supporting or accepting the actions of groups operating outside the law.”

Meanwhile, crime expert Professor Witness Maluleke from the University of Limpopo said lawlessness and disregard for the rule of law contribute to the current climate of misconduct and transgression.

“Operation Dudula is just a small fish in a big pond. We have bigger problems with such unregulated operations, which are often seen as community heroes,” he said.

“The omnipresence of metro police officers cannot be achieved, and while they are doing their best to maintain visibility, the link between their limited presence and Operation Dudula’s enforcement activities is unfounded. Such operations are often heroic in nature, with little oversight.”

Maluleke added that the tension between metro police and civil organisations is unlikely to end soon.

“We still have a long way to go. The latter are praised for breaking laws for the betterment of their communities while painting the former negatively. Therefore, collaboration and information-sharing should be strongly encouraged,” he told IOL News.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL News

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