The controversial anti-immigrant movement Operation Dudula, which launched a Western Cape branch yesterday, said its first mission would be to clean up the alleged drugs and prostitution in Parklands.
More than 500 supporters clad in branded T-shirts, carrying banners and placards march through the CBD streets singing Struggle songs.
The movement, a splinter group of the social media campaign Put South Africans First led by Nhlanhla “Lux” Dlamini, who was not at the launch, handed a memorandum to a Home Affairs official.
Dlamini is believed to be in Limpopo.
Labelled by some as “xenophobic and dangerous”, the group has taken root around the country, having started in Soweto a few months after the July riots erupted when former president Jacob Zuma was sentenced to jail for contempt of court.
The movement targets allegedly suspected drug traffickers and businesses that hire illegal foreigners to pay them lower wages than legally required.
“We donate to this operation,” said Joan Mpele, national treasurer of #PutSouthAfricans first. “I gave them my whole pension and other people donate to us too,” she said.
In the memorandum, the group demanded that officials verify the status of foreign national in the City to establish if they are in the country legally.
“The enforcement of section 41 of Immigration Act of 2002 on every foreigner roaming the streets of Cape Town and surroundings to scan and verify their identity documents.”
The memorandum also called for the City to arrest and deport all those who contravened South African immigration laws.
The national deputy chairperson of the movement, Dan Radebe, said they wanted to make the people of Cape Town aware of the “foreign invasion” in the country.
He said that they would be attending to allegations of young girls in Parklands having sexual intercourse with older men for money which set social media abuzz this week
“In Parklands, we will make sure that the area is cleaned. We want to flush out all foreign nationals in that area because they have proven to the nation that they are not here for a good course, but to destroy our country.
“The Cape Town branch will set a date and conscientise the community there, so that they can go and deal with the mess,” he said.
The Philippi-based regional co-ordinator of the movement Jonathan Baju said they had would set the agenda or dates to deal with Parklands.
Baju said that as much as it was a police responsibility to arrest those responsible, it was an example of the activities they want to end in the province.
“That is just a proof … many stories around the country in general about immigrants,” he said.
Radebe said they want verification to be done on immigrants.
“We want them to be verified. We only want those who are here illegally to leave and fix their countries. We are not xenophobic, we are prepared to coexist but our laws must be upheld and respected,” he said.
He said: “Drug trafficking is rife nationwide. We will take the police there and do the raids with them because we do not want them to take bribes,” he said.
Baju said the branch would work with the government to enforce the law and order in the province.
“We will go where it is needed the most. We will be forcing the government and companies to prioritise the South Africans in terms of employment,” he said.
EFF provincial spokesperson Wandile Kasibe described the movement and its activities as an attempt to sow divisions and instigate violence amongst black people.
“Their ideological posture is that of demagogues who target and terrorise vulnerable people to score cheap political points. They are running dogs of the Stellenbosch mafia and their members are xenophobic zealots and regionalists with a narrow view on complex and multifaceted issues that affect us all,” he said.
ANC provincial spokesperson on community safety Mesuli Kama said the grievances of the movement were legitimate to a certain extent but he urged the group not to target the foreign nationals.
“We understand the sentiments that some foreign nationals are involved in criminal activities in the country,” Kama said.
“There are numerous examples of that, including the money heist and hijacking syndicate in Gauteng and neighbouring provinces, the stealing of copper cables and batteries as well as the recent case in Parklands.
“But such incidents should not be used to target foreign nationals,” he said.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed to Weekend Argus that they were aware of the launch of the movement.
