Tensions flared outside the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on Thursday when SAPS officers fired tear gas and pepper spray at a crowd of protesters gathered near the Nasrec Expo Centre, leaving Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula struggling to breathe and wiping her eyes as the chemicals took effect.
The confrontation unfolded as members of the umkhonto wesizwe (MK) Party and activists from Operation Dudula attempted to move closer to the heavily secured area where President Cyril Ramaphosa and world leaders were meeting. The group said they had come to deliver grievances directly to the president and visiting dignitaries, but instead found themselves blocked nearly a kilometre from the venue.
Videos circulating online showed Dabula inside a vehicle, coughing and rubbing her eyes after officers dispersed protesters with tear gas and pepper spray. Water cannons were also stationed nearby as police moved to contain the gathering.
Speaking shortly after the clash, Dabula accused the police of turning their strength against South Africans who were attempting to raise legitimate concerns, rather than against criminals.
“The sad thing is that the force they are showing to us as South Africans, they can’t show it to criminals. That is why we are having the Madlanga Commission today,” she said.
She criticised what she described as selective policing, insisting that activists who confronted criminality were the ones facing arrest instead of those responsible for wrongdoing. “When they are supposed to do the right thing to the criminals, they don’t do it. Some of us are arrested for fighting crime – for fighting illegality that is happening in the country.”
Dabula also accused some police officers of corruption, claiming that members of Operation Dudula had previously taken undocumented migrants to police stations but were instead arrested themselves.
“We took people who are illegal in the country to the police station, and some of our members were arrested. What’s the job of the police if they can’t protect citizens? They are working against us – they are corrupt. Because we don’t have R20 to give as a bribe, that is how they behave. We know their agenda, and it’s not going to work,” she said.
Earlier in the day, frustrations had already been mounting among the gathered protesters, many of whom were wearing MK Party regalia. One of the protest leaders said the group was being unfairly restricted, arguing that the distance imposed by police undermined the purpose of their demonstration.
“The whole point of picketing is to ensure that we send a strong message to the dignitaries attending the G20,” he said. “The situation is that we are placed almost a kilometre away from the Nasrec Expo Centre, whereas Section 17 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa allows us to protest — to picket at least 100 metres away.”
He said the confined protest area placed them in front of everyday traffic instead of those they intended to reach. “Here we are placed in front of ordinary traffic, people going to Southgate Mall. It is not them we want to talk to. The people we want to talk to are President Ramaphosa and all the dignitaries, the world leaders attending the G20 Summit. What SAPS is doing is actually unfair, and they are depriving us of our constitutional rights.”
The protest, initially planned as a demonstration aimed at highlighting issues ranging from illegal migration to governance, quickly evolved into a standoff, with activists accusing police of deliberately limiting their right to demonstrate near an international event that they argued required urgent attention to domestic concerns.
As tensions escalated, some Operation Dudula members insisted they were willing to face the consequences of defying police restrictions.
“If they want to shoot us, they must shoot us,” one activist said defiantly, underscoring the level of frustration among the demonstrators.
The SAPS maintained a heavy presence around the Nasrec precinct throughout the summit, enforcing sweeping security measures to secure the arrival and movement of international delegations. Security perimeters were significantly expanded, and checkpoints were established across several kilometres of road networks leading to the venue.
The protesters, however, argued that these measures were used not only to maintain order but also to distance them from political leaders they believed should hear their concerns.
Dabula’s remarks later in the day continued to target what she viewed as a policing system that prioritised political optics over crime-fighting obligations. Her criticism of the police linked the G20 security operations to broader issues within the justice system, which she said the Madlanga Commission was now tasked with examining.
Despite the confrontation, no serious injuries were reported beyond the effects of tear gas and pepper spray. Police did not confirm whether any arrests were made, and the protest eventually dispersed after several hours, though activists indicated they planned to continue raising their grievances during the summit.
The incident added another layer of tension to an already robust security operation surrounding the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which has drawn global attention to Johannesburg. For groups like Operation Dudula and the MK Party, the international gathering presented what they saw as an opportunity to spotlight issues they believe government has neglected — but their attempts to do so were met with force, restrictions and a firm police barricade separating them from the world leaders they hoped to address.
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