Dudula’s campaign slammed

Activist organisation Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (Kaax) has accused Operation Dudula of running a campaign to pull immigrant children out of classrooms in Diepsloot, Johannesburg.

In a statement on 30 January, Kaax quoted a WhatsApp message signed by Che Serobedi from Operation Dudula Diepsloot, calling on members and parents of schoolgoing children to attend a mass meeting on 26 January.

“All learners/children who did not get space at all local schools will be put in classes and foreigners who are learners will be removed from classes,” the message read. “As Operation Dudula Diepsloot branch and parents we can’t allow South African children to be out of school this year. Foreigners are accommodated and learning in our public schools … No retreat no surrender.”

GroundUp’s repeated attempts to contact Serobedi to confirm the origin and contents of the message were unsuccessful. After several phone calls to him without getting a reply, we repeatedly called Operation Dudula national spokesperson Zandile Dabula, but her phone went unanswered. We left a WhatsApp message which was not read. Finally, on Tuesday Serobedi returned GroundUp’s call.

He wanted to know if GroundUp was a Zimbabwean publication. Asked why this was important – and urged to answer the allegations from Kaax – he replied: “I won’t answer, that’s rude. The Gauteng department of education budget is for South African children. F**k you.” He then slammed down the phone.

“Targeting children is the height of cowardice,” said Kaax.

The organisation said it acknowledged that there was a crisis in grade 1 in Gauteng, where approximately 5 000 children are yet to be placed in school. “However, we strongly condemn laying the blame on migrant families and targeting six- and seven-yearold kids, for the department of education’s failures to plan adequately.

“The constitution guarantees the rights to health and education to ‘everyone’.”