The Operation Dudula member described the detained members as 'patriots' and 'South African citizens that have taken a stand'.
Three Operation Dudula members remain in custody at Diepkloof police station following their arrest at the Lillian Ngoyi Clinic on Thursday.
The women were detained after allegedly entering the clinic’s maternity ward and attempting to remove a pregnant woman who they claimed was a foreign national.
Operation Dudula supporters demand release
Operation Dudula members gathered at the Diepkloof police station from early Friday morning, demanding the immediate release of their detained colleagues.
We will not be intimidated by our own government.
— Operation Dudula (@0perationDudula) August 8, 2025
Let’s meet in Diepkloof Police Station at 8:00 for a proper shutdown of Diepkloof Police Station. pic.twitter.com/fq1axNbgfz
The group maintains its members were conducting legitimate operations to identify illegal foreigners accessing South African health care services.
According to Operation Dudula member Thami, the three women entered the clinic to establish the facts about foreign nationals in the facility.
“These three members had gotten inside to establish the facts and find out who is an illegal foreigner in the country,” Thami told eNCA.
“They had not even gotten to ask those questions. But they were in the maternity ward to try and find out.”
Thami emphasised that the organisation follows specific protocols during its operations.
“When we conduct this operation, we engage with the staff first before we engage with whoever is not supposed to be there,” he said.
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Operation Dudula arrests and allegations
The detained members claim they were arrested without proper procedure.
In a viral video seen by The Citizen, one of the arrested women described the incident: “We are in a van, we were arrested, foreigners have filled up Koos Clinic and its maternity ward. We don’t know which count we have been arrested on.”
She alleged that someone named Zodwa called the police on them. “Zodwa always harasses us at clinics when we do our programmes. Today, she called the police on us and more than 20 police officers came to us, the three women commanders,” the woman said.
The arrested member claimed procedural violations during the arrest.
“We are travelling right now and we don’t even know which police station they’re taking us to. They just told us that we are getting arrested; they didn’t even read us our rights. We were just put inside the van.”
According to video footage taken by Operation Dodula members, the three arrested women are identified as Cindy, Xoli, and Mamsi.
It remains unclear which of the three was speaking in the viral arrest video.
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Threats of Diepkloof police station shutdown
Operation Dodula leader Zandile Dabula issued a strong warning following the arrests.
“Today, our commanders were arrested in Diepkloof. The charges are that they are impersonating immigration officers, police and labour inspectors,” Dabula said.
She threatened broader action if the women are not released. “We are going to make a call that everyone… if this country has to be closed, it’s going to be a shutdown. Let’s do that because we are not going to be intimidated by the police,” Dabula said.
Organisation’s position on healthcare access
Thami defended the group’s actions as the enforcement of constitutional rights.
He argued that foreign nationals were “stealing our medication, abusing our system, our health care systems” and “should not be given those rights because constitutionally they are not supposed to get those rights”.
The Operation Dudula member described their detained colleagues as “patriots” and “South African citizens that have taken a stand” against what they perceive as illegal immigration.
Police response
Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili confirmed the women are in custody.
“They have not yet been charged, but they are still in custody,” Muridili told The Citizen. “The charges that they are facing now are trespassing.”
This response rebuts Dabula’s claim that the charges are more serious, including impersonating immigration officers, police and labour inspectors.
Muridili said she would confirm when and where the three women will appear in court.
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