Joburg ANC 'Hijacks' Operation Dudula's Campaign in Bid to Regain Lost Ground
In a move seen as a desperate attempt to salvage its tarnished image, the Johannesburg ANC has adopted elements of Operation Dudula's campaign to evict undocumented foreign nationals from hijacked buildings in the city. This strategy is widely viewed as an effort by the former liberation movement to regain lost support in advance of next year's local government elections.
As political parties across Gauteng unveil their mayoral candidates with considerable fanfare ahead of the municipal polls, the ANC in Johannesburg is acting swiftly to remove undocumented foreigners from city buildings.
The initiative, spearheaded by executive mayor Dada Morero and his so-called "bomb squad," which includes ANC veteran Snuki Zikalala, involves the ANC working behind the scenes to replicate Operation Dudula's tactics.
Driven by concerns about upsetting its "liberation sister movements" across the continent, the ANC has branded its strategy a "clean city campaign" to minimise the perception that it is targeting undocumented foreign nationals.
The presence of undocumented immigrants in South Africa has been a major source of declining legitimacy for the ANC government, which is often perceived as being hesitant to address the issue, particularly in Johannesburg, the continent's economic hub.
Morero acknowledged that undocumented foreigners pose significant challenges for the former liberation movement and its governance in Africa's economic centre. "Undocumented immigrants are one of the main challenges the city faces," he told Sunday World.
"We’ve strengthened by-law enforcement and crime prevention operations, with the sustained visibility of Johannesburg Metro Police Department, SA Police Service and home affairs. The coordinated presence of these agencies has become a permanent feature in the CBD."
A key aspect of this initiative is its explicit focus on immigration status. "We are engaging in a structured consultation process with all occupants to verify their residency and immigration status," Morero explained.
One of the initial targets is the Florence Nightingale building in Hillbrow, a heritage site currently occupied by undocumented foreigners who, according to the city, are operating under illegal and unsafe conditions.
The structure is privately owned and undergoing liquidation, after which the City intends to expropriate it to facilitate private redevelopment under strict preservation guidelines. "The plan is to issue a tender for private developers to buy and redevelop the land. Because it’s a heritage site, the new owners will be required to preserve aspects of the original structure," a source revealed.
Driving the effort to garner voter support for Morero is his "bomb squad" – a team of prominent ANC figures tasked with accelerating urban renewal and visibly improving service delivery before the crucial municipal elections next year.
“We are saying, with Dada there, let him fix what is broken. The people want service delivery,” said a member of the "bomb squad" task team.
The ANC in Joburg faces a challenging political landscape, with numerous parties fielding high-profile candidates in the race for the mayoral chain in next year's local government poll.
The DA will be represented by its federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, while the PA has nominated Kenny Kunene. MKP head of elections Bongani Baloyi is also a strong contender for the mayoral position.
The ANC will select its mayoral candidate next year following interviews, and is likely to adopt a strategy similar to that used in Ethekwini, drawing on senior leaders from the NEC to strengthen its position.
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