Nigerians in South Africa Face New Xenophobic Surge by Anti-Migrant Group

Nigerians in South Africa are pleading for urgent diplomatic intervention as the anti-migrant vigilante group Operation Dudula escalates its campaign of intimidation, blocking foreigners from public hospitals and forcing vulnerable women to give birth on bare floors amid a fresh surge of xenophobic threats.Community leaders report that the group's members have been aggressively confronting patients at facilities like the Roodepoort Clinic west of Johannesburg, demanding proof of South African citizenship before allowing entry. In viral videos circulating online, Dudula activists are seen marching through waiting areas, ordering non-citizens—many from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and other African nations—to leave immediately. "If you know yourself that you are not a South African, please stand up. Stand up right now. Don’t try us because we are going to check everybody," one leader declared in a clip that has drawn widespread condemnation. The Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA) has documented at least a dozen incidents since July, including cases where pregnant Nigerian women were denied care, leading to unsafe deliveries on clinic floors or streets. NUSA President Smart Nwobi, a human rights lawyer, described the actions as "illegal and xenophobic," warning that Nigerians are "dying daily" due to the blockades. "They are criminals operating under the guise of community activism," Nwobi told reporters, urging President Bola Tinubu to raise the issue at the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Operation Dudula, founded in Soweto in 2021 and now a registered political party, claims its "Put South Africa First" slogan addresses crime, unemployment, and strained public services caused by undocumented migrants. The group's name, meaning "to force out" in isiZulu, reflects its goal of expelling perceived illegal immigrants, whom it accuses of fueling drug trafficking and job theft. President Zandile Dabula recently announced plans for a December 2025 school blockade campaign to bar non-South African children from enrollment, signaling further escalation. The DA has called for public order policing to protect facilities, while Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema branded the group "thugs" perpetuating "anarchy" and a "sickness" of xenophobia rooted in poverty and inequality. The Nigerian Consulate has faced backlash for its muted response, with NUSA accusing it of failing to safeguard citizens amid historical patterns of attacks dating back to 1998.

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