No foreign child will be attending a public school,” Dabula said. “They can go to private schools—we don’t care. But public schools are for South African children only.”
When asked to clarify if this includes children with valid documents, Dabula remained adamant, casting suspicion even on legally documented migrants:
“I’m talking about illegal foreigners who will definitely not be accepted. But even those who claim to be legal—we know about bogus Home Affairs. We’ve seen a lot of them. All of them must be thoroughly vetted.”South Africa- The xenophobic and anti-foreign national lobby grouping, Operation Dudula has announced a new anti-immigrant campaign targeting children of foreign nationals in South Africa, with a particular focus on undocumented minors.
According to the leader of the vigilante grouping, Zandile Dabula, the campaign, set to launch in late December 2025 and run into the first week of January 2026, aims to block these children from enrolling in public schools.scrutinize the legal status of parents:
“How did they come to this country? Are their parents documented? Everything must be checked.”
Rights Groups Push Back
The campaign has drawn sharp criticism from Equal Education (EE), the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC), and the legal advocacy organisation Section27. These groups have condemned the planned campaign as unlawful, discriminatory, and a direct attack on vulnerable children.
EE and EELC issued a joint statement reminding the public that South Africa’s Constitution, particularly Sections 9 and 29(1)(a), guarantees every child—regardless of nationality or documentation status—the right to basic education.
“Children should never be the collateral damage of the failures of those in power,” said EE and EELC. “This campaign scapegoats migrant children for systemic failures in service delivery rooted in poor planning, corruption, and political inaction.”
They referenced a landmark ruling in the case of Centre for Child Law & Others v Minister of Basic Education and Others, in which the Eastern Cape High Court affirmed that no child may be excluded from public education based on documentation status. The judgment led to the Department of Basic Education issuing Circular 1 of 2020, instructing all provincial departments and schools to admit undocumented learners.
“Denying any child access to school perpetuates inequality and undermines democratic values,” EE and EELC said. “Such actions are traumatising and unconstitutional.”
Section27 also cited the Phakamisa judgment, which reinforced the constitutional right of all children, including undocumented migrants, to access basic education.Among those likely to be most affected are Zimbabwean children, who make up a significant portion of migrant learners in South Africa. The announcement has sparked outrage from human rights groups and education advocates, who say the move is unconstitutional and violates the rights of children.
According to Dabula, Operation Dudula members will be physically stationed at schools to prevent foreign children from gaining access.
“No foreign child will be attending a public school,” Dabula said. “They can go to private schools—we don’t care. But public schools are for South African children only.”
When asked to clarify if this includes children
