Known for its anti-immigration vigilantism, Operation Dudula has now expanded its operations and wants to address daily issues of service delivery amongst communities. The organisation which celebrated its two years of existence on Youth Day also launched a new movement called "Gatvol". The group says this movement aims to address daily issues of service delivery among communities in distress. 

DUDULA TURNS TWO

Speaking to ZiMoja, Isaac Lesole the technical advisor of the organisation said the event was not only a launch but also a two-year celebration since the organisation was founded. "We are mainly here to launch a national campaign called" Gatvol". We’ve identified communities that are in distress and neglected by the government. We have partnered with some of them so that we can elevate their issues beyond the ward councillor and municipalities. So far we’ve assisted the community of Molapo in Soweto as they have been battling with electricity for months, today I am happy to say their problem has been solved," said Lesole. He said this time, they want to put pressure differently and move away from the narrative of being a vigilante group focused on illegal immigrants. "However, we still say illegal immigrants must go back to their countries. But we want to move beyond that and show communities that we have their overall interests at heart," he added.

RE-BRANDING

Lesole said they want to re-introduce Operation Dudula to South Africans and work against the stigma of being a xenophobic group."We would like to resonate with communities as we prepare for the 2024 elections. We are in the process of registering with the IEC and will contest next year. Communities are choosing us and we are humbled by that and will expand to talk about issues of land and the economy," he said. Lesole also said that the only chance that young people have is to vote for a party that will bring change. "Today is a very sad day, and you can just tell by the ambiance in Soweto. There used to be a buzz on 16 June but that’s all gone. The youth is frustrated and unemployed and we can only blame the current administration for that, however, this can all change if the youth votes for a party that has their best interests at heart," concluded Lesole.