Operation Dudula Forces Zimbabwean Immigrants Out of South African Hospitals

Operation Dudula protesters (image source)

A new wave of xenophobic aggression is emerging in South African public health facilities as Operation Dudula members increasingly bar Zimbabwean — and other foreign — patients from clinics and hospitals, particularly those in Johannesburg. A growing number of Zimbabwean community members report being forcibly ejected or deterred from entering facilities despite court rulings guaranteeing medical access regardless of nationality. GroundUp and other outlets have documented multiple incidents at Jeppe Clinic, Diepsloot, Hillbrow, Kensington, Bez Valley, and Soweto clinics where families escorting young children for vaccination, medication (especially ARVs), or maternity care were blocked from queues or singled out for separate segregation by Dudula vigilantes.

At Diepsloot Ext 7 Clinic on June 25, 2025, HIV-positive Zimbabwean man Bheki Ndlovu waited hours in line only to be refused entry for lack of South African identity documents. He blamed the denial on Dudula members who prioritised locals, effectively denying him his antiretroviral medication — a denial he described as “a death sentence.”

Mothers such as Grace Issah and Jane Banda, along with asylum seekers like Aisha Amadu, testified to being turned away when bringing infants to clinics in multiple neighbourhoods, leaving critical healthcare appointments unfilled. Some women were told to “stand aside” or return home to give birth despite the Constitutional Court’s 2023 ruling affirming that pregnant and lactating women and their children must receive free healthcare regardless of immigration status.

A broader review by health xenophobia watchdogs, including the Collective Voices Against Health Xenophobia consortium, warns such disruptions pose serious public health risks — including outbreaks of communicable diseases like measles and TB — as immigrants avoid healthcare facilities altogether. Operation Dudula, originally formed as a community-based anti-immigrant movement in Soweto in 2021, transitioned to formal political party status in 2023. Its supporters openly campaign for migrants, including legal residents, to be expelled, and blame foreign nationals for unemployment, healthcare burden, and crime.

Several Zimbabweans in Johannesburg describe being stuck between “two broken health systems”: unable to access care at home due to Zimbabwe’s healthcare collapse, yet denied services in South Africa due to xenophobic vigilantes. Zimbabwean civic groups have condemned the development, calling the treatment “inhumane” and a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. South African courts are currently reviewing legal challenges brought by civil society organisations including the Socio-Economic Rights Institute, Kopanang Afrika Against Xenophobia (KAAX), Abahlali BaseMjondolo, and the Inner City Federation. Judgment is reserved in their effort to interdict Dudula’s operations and affirm migrants’ access to healthcare.

Despite legal pressure, local health departments and police have been criticised for failing to enforce constitutional rights. At Hillbrow Clinic, police only intervened after reports emerged — but enforcement remains inconsistent and often delayed.

Human rights advocates argue that xenophobic disruptions in healthcare facilities undermine not only individual rights but also public health outcomes, especially in urban centres where communicable disease control requires inclusive coverage. Denying vaccinations or ARVs to foreign nationals increases the risk of broader outbreaks.

Zimbabwe’s health ministry, facing continuous brain drain and underfunding, has urged South Africa to address the root causes of cross‐border healthcare migration instead of scapegoating. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Health Minister and Home Affairs officials have accused Zimbabwe of sending non-paying patients across the border, straining South Africa’s public services. Community organisations are calling for expanded legal aid access for immigrants, formal enforcement of the high court’s ruling, and political condemnation of Dudula’s actions. With judgment expected later this year, pressure is building on the South African government to affirm constitutional health rights for all residents — regardless of origin.