The Nigerian Consulate in South Africa has come under criticism for its silence as members of the anti-migrant group, Operation Dudula, continue to block Nigerians and other African nationals from accessing public healthcare facilities in the country.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the President of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), Mr. Smart Nwobi, condemned the group’s actions, describing them as illegal and xenophobic.
He explained that the group has been stopping pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable foreigners from receiving medical treatment despite having valid documents or even citizenship status.
Nwobi said the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, has made it clear in a national interview that anyone seeking to deny foreigners access to public healthcare must first change the law through proper channels, not by storming hospitals to harass doctors and patients.
Nwobi stressed that many foreigners in South Africa contribute to the economy and pay taxes, yet face discrimination simply because they do not speak the local language or are perceived as outsiders.
He said these are just claims, not backed by facts. It is simply Afrophobia and xenophobia.
In the past, they targeted foreigners in the informal trade sector; now, they have moved to the healthcare sector and are even threatening to stop foreign children from attending public schools next year.
NUSA revealed that it is working with the Office of Human Rights for Refugee Affairs, the African Diaspora Forum, and other progressive associations to seek legal redress for those affected.
Despite the growing tension, the Nigerian Consulate in South Africa has not issued any statement or intervened in the matter, a development that has drawn criticism from Nigerians living in the country.
Nwobi insisted that if Operation Dudula believes foreign nationals strain public resources, they should provide evidence and pursue legal reforms instead of resorting to mob actions.
When asked, apart from collaborating with some groups to find a solution to the issue, what other measures were being taken by the group, he said, "We have written to the Nigerian Consulate to reach out to their South African counterpart on the matter. We will write to them once again to intensify efforts in reaching out to the groups involved in all this and tell them that this is unacceptable.
"They (consulate officials) are politicians and diplomats; we are trying to push our diplomats from here (South Africa) to also reach out to the Nigerian President (Bola Tinubu), as well as our Senate, to be in contact diplomatically with their South African counterparts.
"Secondly, internally within the country, because this is a legal issue, we are cooperating with other African migrant unions. As of last week, the Nigerian Union South Africa had an official briefing with the African Diaspora Forum, and they agreed to collaborate with my group (NUSA) to mount a legal approach and ask questions."
When asked if there has been no intervention from the Nigerian government on the issue.
"No, they have not been able to intervene; the consulate and the embassy have not intervened. We tried to reach out to them, but they have not said anything; they have not given us any progress report about what they are doing so far,” he said.
"We are calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to kindly intervene. He might be here in September for the G-20, which South Africa would be hosting; world leaders would also be there.”
Nwobi said that Nigerians have resorted to self-medication, which is detrimental to their health.
"Some of them are losing their lives every day. The statistics are there. Nigerians are now afraid of going to public hospitals in South Africa to avoid being beaten to death or assaulted,” he said.
“That is the unfortunate part of it. So, this requires urgent intervention.
"Now, as it is getting close to election time, foreigners, especially those doing business, are always the target. That anger against the ruling party, government is transferred to foreigners. Nigerians are always among the victims when this happens."
In July, SaharaReporters reported that Operation Dudula had sparked public outrage after its members were caught on video blocking access to a government hospital and denying entry to anyone unable to prove South African citizenship.
In a viral video, Operation Dudula members were seen stationed at the entrance of the Roodepoort Clinic, west of Johannesburg, confronting patients and demanding ID documents before allowing them inside.
In another viral video, Operation Dudula President Zandile Dabula, openly announced the group’s intention to launch a campaign in late December 2025 and early January 2026, targeting public schools across the country to block non-South African children from enrollment.
“We're going to launch a campaign at the end of December, the first week of January 2026. We're going to be stationed at schools, and no foreign child will be attending school in a public school,” Dabula said.
She further stated that the group's actions would not extend to private institutions, saying, “They can rather take them to private [schools], we don't care, but at public schools it's going to be reserved for South African children only.”
Dabula’s comments reflect Operation Dudula’s long-standing anti-immigration agenda, which has included violent xenophobic campaigns targeting African migrants, particularly those from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Nigeria.
Post a Comment