By Lehlohonolo Lehana, Live from Nasrec.
SA Police Services (SAPS) fired stun grenades and sprayed tear gas to disperse Operation Dudula and MK Party members who attempted to push past barricades outside the G20 Summit in Nasrec, South of Johannesburg.
A police officer has been rushed to hospital after being assaulted by the protesters, which resulted to the arrest of protesters from both parties following clashes with the police.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says a case of public violence has been opened against the group.
Operation Dudula has been picketing hospitals and clinics in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, checking identity cards and stopping anyone who is not South African from entering. This has since extended to schools.
But the high court in Johannesburg has ordered the group to stop “intimidating, harassing [or] interfering with access” to these facilities, following a case brought by rights groups.
South Africa is home to about 2.4 million migrants, just less than 4% of the population, according to official figures.
National organiser of Operation Dudula, Freeman Bhengu, said they are protesting to draw attention to what they describe as the impact of illegal immigration in the country.
“We came here to make awareness of the sufferings which are faced by South Africans when it comes to issues relating to illegal immigration.”
“The issue of illegal immigration is very important and we know that it affects South Africans, whether in health care, education, so the reason why we are here is that we want to put our problems on the world stage and what is the problem in South Africa.”
At least 3,500 extra police officials have been deployed to bolster security for the high-level guests, while the army has been placed on standby.
South Africa has held the presidency since November 2024 and will hand over to the US on November 30, 2025. This weekend’s meeting take place over two days from Saturday, November 22, at Johannesburg’s 150,000 square-metre Expo Centre, the country’s largest convention centre.
Deputy national commissioner for policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, told reporters on Thursday that authorities were expecting protests.
“We will allow that right [to protest] to be exercised,” she said. “But within the proper directives and proper confines of the law.”
Separately, Solidarity, a trade union representing members of South Africa’s Afrikaner white minority, were also protesting against the alleged marginalisation of white South Africans.
The organisation has put up controversial billboards around Johannesburg that say: “Welcome to the most RACE-REGULATED country in the world.”