Opération Dudula, March and March : Quelles organisations structurent la haine anti-étrangers en Afrique du Sud ?
On June 30, thousands of South Africans opposed to immigration marched in several major cities across the country, including Pretoria, Durban, and Johannesburg. For several years, South Africa has faced a surge in xenophobic violence targeting African migrants, both documented and undocumented. This tension reached a peak on June 30 when anti-migrant groups issued an ultimatum demanding that all undocumented immigrants leave the country.
For over 20 years, South Africa has faced recurring waves of xenophobic violence. The deadliest, in 2008, left around 60 people dead. This time, however, these movements are far more structured. Back then, they were organized locally by a leader or a neighborhood council to consolidate their popularity. Today, the protests have taken on a national dimension.
Operation Dudula and the March and March movement
Among the main organizations calling for protests against foreigners is Operation Dudula, a civil society movement that emerged in Soweto between 2021 and 2022. It gained wider recognition in 2025 when it blocked foreigners from accessing hospitals and schools. This urban movement appeared to be aligned with former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, who, during his term, stated his intention to "cleanse" Johannesburg of illegal migrants. Operation Dudula has since become a political party.
Another organization has emerged in recent months as the main driving force behind the anti-migrant protests: March and March. It is led by Jacinta Ngobese Zuma, a former radio presenter from the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The support of political parties and the shadow of Jacob Zuma
Several political parties, such as Jacob Zuma's MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe), have joined these demonstrations in cities across the country. According to some researchers, Jacob Zuma also supports and finances the March and March organization. Similarly, groups like Action SA and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have, at one time or another, provided political, and likely financial, support to these protesters.
Officially, the rhetoric focuses on irregular immigration. These organizations are calling on the South African government to deport undocumented migrants. The vast majority of these people come from neighboring southern African countries: Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana. In reality, however, these organizations target all foreigners, regardless of their legal status. Furthermore, the argument that migrants are "stealing" jobs from South Africans appears unfounded in light of the data and testimonies gathered from those who have been deported.
Opaque sources of funding
These anti-migrant organizations demonstrate remarkable logistics and clearly have substantial financial resources: printing t-shirts, chartering buses to transport their activists, holding press conferences and making television appearances.
Their actual sources of funding, however, remain very opaque. Officially, these movements rely on public fundraising, as indicated on the March and March website. It remains to be seen whether more substantial external financial support is also contributing to their coffers. When interviewed by RFI, Loren Landau, a researcher at Wits University in Johannesburg, stated: "These are not simply grassroots movements supported by unemployed South Africans; there is external funding."
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