Nigerians in South Africa Under Attack: Operation Dudula Blocks Foreigners From Hospitals
By Odekunle Doyin
Nigerians and other African migrants are facing fresh waves of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, as the anti-migrant vigilante group Operation Dudula reportedly blocks foreigners from accessing public hospitals, leaving pregnant women to give birth on bare floors and patients discharged without treatment.
In a viral video circulating online, an Operation Dudula leader was seen ordering patients out of a clinic, shouting:
“If you know yourself that you are not a South African, please stand up. Don’t try us because we are going to check everybody.”
The group, which claims to defend South Africans against “illegal immigration” and the “unlawful takeover of jobs and services,” has turned its campaign towards hospitals and clinics. Victims, however, say its actions amount to terror and systematic harassment.
“Another wave of xenophobic assault” — Nigerian leaders
Frank Onyekwelu, President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, described the incidents as “another wave of xenophobic assault.”
“Imagine a woman giving birth on a bare floor in front of a hospital without antenatal care or a midwife. Some patients are being forcefully discharged without treatment. Some of them could just die like chickens,” Onyekwelu told Punch.
Many Nigerians who can afford it are fleeing to private healthcare, while Nigerian doctors are stepping in to assist vulnerable patients.
Denial of immunisation and basic healthcare
Smart Nwobi, President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA), confirmed cases of foreigners — including nursing mothers — being denied immunisation services for their babies.
He condemned Operation Dudula members as “criminals acting outside the law,” pointing out the irony that “some of them are dual citizens themselves, yet they demand foreigners must speak local languages to qualify as South Africans.”
“This is pure illegality and violates Section 27 of the South African Constitution, which guarantees access to healthcare,” Nwobi said.
Coordinated attacks and looming threats
Nwobi stressed that the group’s activities amount to Afrophobia, recalling that in August, Dudula operatives vowed to stop foreigners — including Nigerians — from enrolling in public schools next year.
He warned that the attacks appear coordinated and must be stopped before they escalate further.
Diplomatic and legal steps underway
The Nigerian community has already reported the matter to the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa, which has promised to engage authorities diplomatically.
At the same time, the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) is weighing legal options, including seeking an injunction at the South African High Court and holding talks with the South African president and key political parties.
The renewed attacks highlight growing tensions between locals and migrants in South Africa, with Nigerians once again bearing the brunt of xenophobic violence. Rights groups warn that Operation Dudula’s actions threaten regional peace, migrant safety, and constitutional democracy in Africa’s most industrialized nation.
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