Following the disturbing rise in anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, hundreds of South Africans and migrants staged an anti-xenophobia rally in response to marches against migrants by the self-styled ‘Operation Dudula’ movement.
“There are people in our country who are trying to take advantage of the anger, the people feel about poverty, about unemployment, about hunger, and they are trying to turn that anger onto foreigners, mainly foreigners from other African countries. They are trying to create a fire, a xenophobic fire,” said Mark Heywood, an activist.
Nhlanhla Dlamini, the man known as the pioneer of Operation Dudula, which means “drive back” in the Zulu language, says he’s defending South African workers. Although Dudula’s rallies have been peaceful, there’s no denying its antipathic undertones.
South Africa, which is home to over three million refugees, asylum seekers, and migrant workers, has over the years, been recurrently plagued by xenophobic violence. The world witnessed instances of such dastardly acts in 2015, 2016, and again in 2019.
Despite having received a big a big following, Nhlanhla Dlamini was arrested by Police on Thursday, 24th March 2022.