Zandile Dabula resigns as Operation Dudula president amid internal divisions

By Charmaine Ndlela

Zandile Dabula has resigned as president and member of Operation Dudula with immediate effect, citing growing internal divisions and disagreements over the organisation’s political direction.

Operation Dudula, an anti-migrant vigilante group founded in Soweto in 2021, has become known for its hardline stance on undocumented immigration.

Dabula took over as national leader of the movement in June 2023 following the departure of founder Nhlanhla Dlamini, in what marked a major turning point for the organisation.

In her resignation letter, Dabula described her departure as a painful but necessary decision following “a long period of introspection regarding the future direction of the organisation”.

“It is with a heavy heart and deep reflection that I, Zandile Dabula, formally resign from my position as president, as well as a member, of Operation Dudula Political Party,” she said.

Dabula said some leaders within the organisation had increasingly questioned whether the transition from a civic movement into a political party had happened prematurely.

“During the course of our journey, there were moments where some among the national leadership reflected on whether the transition of Operation Dudula into a political party may have happened earlier than necessary,” she said.

She added that many within the movement believed Operation Dudula had built stronger influence as a civic organisation rooted in “activism, advocacy, and community mobilisation”.

Her resignation comes amid heightened national debate over immigration, anti-illegal migration activism and the organisation’s future political direction.

Leaders within the movement have also faced public backlash and accusations of hypocrisy following revelations about their own foreign family roots and backgrounds.

The movement has repeatedly been criticised by civil society groups and human rights organisations, which have accused it of xenophobia and intimidation.

“While I respected and supported the collective decisions taken by the organisation at the time, I