Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has called on the department of basic education to provide counselling to undocumented learners and the children of illegal immigrants who have been traumatised by Operation Dudula.
Operation Dudula is a Soweto-born movement which consists of citizens who claim to be targeting drug lords and informal traders in Hillbrow. They allege that most of these offenders are undocumented foreign nationals and the group conducts raids in Hillbrow, claiming to be “cleaning the streets”.
At the weekend, the group took to Hillbrow with the intention of “cleaning” hijacked buildings in the area.
“Members of Dudula cannot understand the pain and misery that undocumented learners feel when they hear that their parents are going to be deported. We have seen for ourselves how members of Dudula have been campaigning to rid the country of illegal immigrants,” Makaneta said.
“What is concerning is that the children of illegal immigrants are caught in the crossfire between Dudula and illegal foreigners. Operation Dudula should respect the rights of undocumented learners who happen to be children of illegal immigrants.”
He said the undocumented children of illegal immigrants also had a right to learn in a conducive environment and this right must be defended at all costs.
“It should be clear at this point that Operation Dudula has affected these children emotionally. Most of these children can no longer concentrate in the classroom because they are worried about the future. It is for this reason that such children should be offered support and encouragement so that they too can succeed at school and be able to create a better future for themselves,” Makaneta said.
The activist stressed that members of the operation should be reminded about the right to education. The constitution states that “The right to education extends to everyone within the boundaries of South Africa; the nationality or immigration status is immaterial.”
“We need to continue to share the little that we have with foreign nationals. Central to the call for the protection of children of illegal immigrants is the right to basic education which is enshrined in section 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” Makaneta said.
“We trust that Minister Angie Motshekga will kickstart a process of healing the emotional wounds of undocumented learners.”