Do March and March, Operation Dudula have a point?

The emergence of movements such as March and March and Operation Dudula reflects a segment of society that is increasingly unwilling to accept current conditions without challenge.

Their rise signals deep frustration with issues of governance, law enforcement and social stability.

Their methods have drawn significant criticism, raising concerns about legality, human rights and the potential erosion of social cohesion.

But the tension creates an important distinction between the message and the way it is delivered.

At the centre of the discourse is a perception that, in its attempt to uphold values such as Ubuntu, South Africa has, at times, struggled to enforce its laws consistently.

This perception, whether accurate or not, has contributed to a belief that the country is vulnerable to exploitation by those willing to bypass formal processes.

Ultimately, the debate is less about endorsement and more about confronting the conditions driving such sentiments. In defending its position, the government appears not to have fully considered how a less confrontational approach to movements such as March and March might shape public perception.

A strategy grounded in measured engagement rather than outright opposition could reduce the risk of the government being seen as antagonistic toward its own citizens.

Instead, the state’s posture is often interpreted as a first line of defence for those perceived to be entering or in the country unlawfully.

This perception is sharpened by concerns that the undocumented, by their very nature, are difficult to trace and therefore able to operate outside regulatory systems.

The tension that emerges is not simply about migration, but about the balance between the principle of Ubuntu and the government’s responsibility to ensure order, safety and accountability.

We may disagree on the methods employed and the notion of “Africa for Africans”, but systems of governance depend on accountability and accountability is difficult to enforce where identity and presence remain unverified.

The question then is why South Africans are expected to accept a reality where the very laws that govern them by birth appear to be bent, or inconsistently applied, to accommodate illegal migrants.

This is not simply a matter of exclusion, but of consistency.

Perhaps this is the point we must grapple with if we are to find common ground in addressing the issue constructively.