Cape Town – Community members who identified themselves as the Dudula Movement reportedly clashed with foreign nationals at Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra, Gauteng on Monday.
According to The Citizen, the movement members were in search of migrant employees and shop owners who did not have valid paperwork.
Although it was not clear how the members identified who was undocumented, they forcefully closed down foreign nationals’ shops.
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However, the foreign nationals were resistant, resulting in violence.
“Four people were injured during the clashes -three Mozambican men aged between 36 and 52 as well as a South African aged 38 years. The injured people were taken to a clinic for medical treatment,” IOL quoted police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili as saying.
“We are not going anywhere. We are here to work.” These are the words of some of the evicted street vendors at Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra on Monday. #JobSeekersSA #foreigners #OperationDudula pic.twitter.com/XeY086OdTV
— BEAST OF THE NEWS (@EversonLuhanga) March 7, 2022
According to Times Live, Alexandra councillor for ward 116 Adolph Marema criticised the government for the situation, saying that they were relaxing instead of attending to the issue.
“Residents feel aggrieved that there is a majority of non-documented foreign nationals who are participating in economic activities when they are supposed to be the ones that are benefiting. There is a pushback, seeing that government is not doing anything about it. The law enforcement agencies are becoming spectators to the situation and now there is a clash between [South Africans] and the brothers from neighbouring countries,” said Marema as quoted by the report.
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Reports indicated that the movement was set to continue closing down of all foreign-owned shops in Alexandra on Tuesday.
Businesses closing down. Shops forced to close as #Dudula Movement members intensify their Operation Fiyela in Alexandra, Johannesburg.#OperationDudula #PutSouthAficansFirst #foreigners pic.twitter.com/UrA10uMduh
— BEAST OF THE NEWS (@EversonLuhanga) March 7, 2022
Foreign nationals, on the other hand, have seemingly taken a stance of fighting back.
“There are South Africans also living in our countries but they are not abused like we are. The people take our stock from us even though we are not doing anything. We also want to fight back as migrants, whoever dies then dies,” EWN quoted one immigrant shop owner as saying.
According to IOL, the Dudula Movement is a separate community organisation to Operation Dudula, which has held protest marches against foreign workers. The Dudula Movement only operates in Alexandra, while Operation Dudula focuses on other areas in Johannesburg.
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Picture: Facebook/ Tshepo Dot Mosima
Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
