Operation Dudula illegally blocks babies from getting vaccines

Ray White (in for 702’s Bongani Bingwa) speaks with Daniel Steyn, a journalist at GroundUp.

Listen below:

GroundUp reports that mothers of newborn babies are being turned away at public clinics in Johannesburg by Operation Dudula because they are not South African.

They say their children are missing out on lifesaving vaccines.

In recent months, vigilante group Operation Dudula has been taking control of clinic queues across Johannesburg, chasing away immigrants or telling them to stand separately from South Africans.

It is alleged that some healthcare staff have been participating.

This is despite a 2023 ruling in the Gauteng High Court that pregnant and lactating women and young children should be granted free health care services regardless of their nationality.

The court ordered the Gauteng Department of Health to change its policy denying immigrants healthcare, and to place notices on the walls at all healthcare facilities stating lactating women and children may not be denied access.

This order is not being consistently complied with.

GroundUp visited the Jeppe Clinic last week and saw no such notice. There was a small group of Operation Dudula members pulling immigrants out of the queue and telling them to stand to one side.

Jane Banda, a Malawian national, was at the clinic. She has been struggling to get her seven-week-old baby vaccinated but has been blocked every time by Operation Dudula.

She fears her baby’s health may be at risk if she continues to miss essential vaccinations.

Aisha Amadu, an asylum seeker from Malawi, who has a two-year-old baby, had an appointment at Jeppe Clinic last week but was chased away by Operation Dudula.

Grace Issah, also from Malawi, has a 14-week-old baby who was due for a vaccine two weeks ago.

But she has been chased away from clinics in Jeppe, Bez Valley and Hillbrow.

“I feel like giving up because it seems there is nothing that I can do. My husband has no money for private doctors.”

- Grace Issah

Several other women said they have also been denied access to clinics in Malvern, Kensington, Rosettenville and Soweto.

The Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) launched a case in the Gauteng High Court in 2024, on behalf of Kopanang Afrika Against Xenophobia (KAAX), the Inner City Federation, Abahlali BaseMjondolo, and the South African Informal Traders Forum.

The group is seeking an interdict to declare the actions of the vigilante group, which include denying healthcare to immigrants, unlawful. The matter was heard in June, and judgment was reserved.

Mike Ndlovu from KAAX says it is a constitutional right for everyone in South Africa to be able to access healthcare.

“What Operation Dudula and a few complicit nurses are doing is unconstitutional, a criminal act, and a betrayal of our democracy. Denying healthcare is a violation of basic human rights.”

- Mike Ndlovu from KAAX

Ndlovu called on healthcare workers to remember their professional duty: to care without discrimination.

Operation Dudula’s actions have been condemned by the South African Human Rights Commission.

Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said the department is aware of the action by Operation Dudula but denied that department staff members are involved.

“The health facility managers have been advised to alert the law enforcement agencies whenever they experience these protests because that is a security issue to enforce the law.”

- Foster Mohale, Department of Health

Mohale did not respond to questions about whether the department has complied with the 2023 court order to put up the notices.

Zandile Dabula, spokesperson for Operation Dudula, did not respond to a request for comment. But Veli Ngobese, a member of the movement who was at Jeppe clinic on the day GroundUp visited, said: “We are targeting all people from outside the country. We want Home Affairs to start afresh. Foreign nationals who come into the country should come and invest because the ones we see are selling amagwinya [vetkoek], pushing trolleys, and selling peanuts, and we are the ones paying taxes.”

He said the group will be conducting daily protests until immigrants stop going to clinics.

GroundUp is a not-for-profit news agency known for its focus on public interest stories within vulnerable communities with a "bottom-up" style of reporting.

To make a donation, go to groundup.org.za and follow the “DONATE” link at the top.

Scroll up to the audio player for more.