September 13, 2025-Published by Cyril
Nigerians living in South Africa have raised the alarm over renewed xenophobic threats allegedly fueled by Operation Dudula, an anti-migrant group accused of harassing foreigners and blocking their access to public hospitals.
Community leaders report that Nigerians and other African nationals are being subjected to systematic intimidation, including patients being denied medical care, women giving birth on bare floors outside hospitals, and mothers being barred from immunising their babies.
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Frank Onyekwelu, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), described the situation as another wave of xenophobic attacks, lamenting that the group’s actions amount to hate-driven harassment. He revealed that Nigerians had already petitioned political groups, immigration bodies, and diplomatic channels for urgent intervention.
Similarly, Smart Nwobi, President of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), condemned the group’s activities, citing a recent incident in which a new mother was blocked from accessing immunisation services for her child. He called on both the South African and Nigerian governments to deploy security forces to protect public facilities and stop “criminals from taking the law into their own hands.”
According to Nwobi, Operation Dudula members — many of whom are not even native South Africans — falsely claim to defend citizens’ rights but instead violate Section 27 of the South African Constitution, which guarantees access to healthcare.
Nigerian victims shared disturbing experiences, with some calling the group “criminals hiding under the guise of activism.” Reports indicate that Nigerian doctors have stepped in to treat victims, while those who can afford it are being redirected to private clinics.
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The crisis has drawn criticism from former Nigerian diplomats. Rasheed Akinkuolie, ex-Consul to Cameroon, condemned the harassment as “illegal, unauthorised, and a dangerous vestige of apartheid thinking,” questioning why such hostility targets Black Africans while ignoring whites. Similarly, Ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode warned that the expulsion of foreigners from hospitals could spark diplomatic tensions and weaken African solidarity.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that African Ambassadors in South Africa are in talks with Pretoria to seek a lasting solution, while the African Diaspora Forum is also considering legal action against Operation Dudula.
For many Nigerians, however, the ongoing harassment underscores fears that xenophobia in South Africa remains unchecked, raising urgent calls for diplomatic and security intervention to safeguard the rights of African migrants.
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