{"id":5787,"date":"2026-06-25T14:44:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1nationmedia.com\/?p=5787"},"modified":"2026-06-25T17:51:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T15:51:04","slug":"jacinta-and-dudula-anti-migrant-vigilantes-or-speaking-on-behalf-of-south-africas-poor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1nationmedia.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/jacinta-and-dudula-anti-migrant-vigilantes-or-speaking-on-behalf-of-south-africas-poor\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma and Operation Dudula: Vigilantes or voices of South Africa\u2019s poor?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As South Africa approaches 30 June, a date promoted by the civic movement March and March as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country voluntarily, the national debate over immigration has once again intensified.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the centre of the renewed controversy is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the movement\u2019s founder and one of the country\u2019s most prominent voices calling for stricter immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To supporters, Ngobese-Zuma is articulating frustrations long ignored by the political establishment, particularly around unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. To critics, she has become the public face of a movement that risks deepening xenophobia and social division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The growing attention on Ngobese-Zuma has also revived public interest in March and March and Operation Dudula. Although the two movements are frequently conflated, they are separate organisations with distinct origins, leadership structures and legal histories. Understanding these differences is essential to understanding one of South Africa\u2019s most polarising national debates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ngobese-Zuma, a KwaZulu-Natal activist, entrepreneur and former radio presenter, has built her public profile around campaigning for tougher immigration controls and stricter enforcement of existing laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She argues that South Africa\u2019s immigration system has been undermined by weak enforcement and corruption within the Department of Home Affairs, allowing undocumented migrants to remain in the country unlawfully. According to Ngobese-Zuma, her activism is directed at illegal immigration rather than foreign nationals as a group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supporters say she is giving voice to widespread frustrations among South Africans struggling with unemployment, poverty and overstretched public services. Critics, however, argue that some of her rhetoric risks fuelling xenophobia by presenting migrants as central contributors to the country\u2019s socio-economic challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emergence of March and March<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, Ngobese-Zuma launched March and March, a civic movement that describes itself as committed to lawful and peaceful activism aimed at strengthening border security and ensuring the enforcement of immigration legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation has organised demonstrations in several provinces and has called on undocumented migrants to leave South Africa voluntarily, while urging the government to restore what it describes as the rule of law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The movement has recently intensified its campaign ahead of 30 June 2026, a date it has publicly promoted as a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa voluntarily. March and March has indicated that it plans further mobilisation and demonstrations if the government fails to act, a stance that has heightened public debate and attracted both support and criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ngobese-Zuma has repeatedly rejected accusations that the movement is xenophobic, maintaining that its focus is the enforcement of immigration laws rather than hostility towards foreign nationals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is it different from Operation Dudula?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March and March is frequently confused with Operation Dudula, but the two are distinct organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation Dudula emerged in 2021 amid growing public anger over unemployment, crime and illegal immigration. The term dudula, derived from isiZulu, broadly means \u201cpush back\u201d or \u201cforce out\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The movement became known for community operations in which members visited businesses, informal settlements and public facilities, questioned people\u2019s immigration status and called for the removal of undocumented migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Operation Dudula maintained that it was targeting illegal immigration, its methods attracted widespread criticism from civil society organisations, legal experts and human rights groups, who accused the movement of vigilantism, intimidation and xenophobia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation Dudula was founded by Zandile Dabula, who became one of its most prominent leaders. While Ngobese-Zuma was at times publicly associated with some of the movement\u2019s campaigns, she later established March and March as an independent organisation with its own leadership and objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xenophobia has no place in Islam, watch Shaykh Laja Yasini explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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