JOHANNESBURG - Operation Dudula made visits to Soweto schools on Monday, reportedly to bar undocumented migrant children from enrolling in public schools for 2026.
READ: ZANU-PF alleges Operation Dudula are used by 'colonial masters'
The campaign has already drawn criticism from Parliament and rights groups.
They warn it violates constitutional protections which guarantees every child the right to education.
Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, Makhi Feni said in a parliamentary issued statement, “We condemn this conduct from Operation Dudula activists, and we call on them not to distract school operations."
"Learning time is of essence and especially this close to preliminary and final examinations.”
“These violent actions have a potential to be such a traumatic experience for young children and must be stopped. The uncoordinated activism by Operation Dudula is a concern, and could likely be hijacked by criminal elements,” he said.
Equal Education and the Equal Education Law Centre condemned the campaign targeting migrant children from enrolling in public schools in August, in a joint statement.
The organisations said, "This is a direct violation of the Constitution, the High Court’s Centre for Child Law & Others v Minister of Basic Education & Others case, and the South African Schools Act (SASA). These actions have no place in a constitutional democracy and represent a dangerous step backwards."
The Equal Education statement reads, "when government institutions turn a blind eye to or tacitly sanction xenophobic intimidation in schools, they create an environment of violence and fear that disrupts learning for all learners, regardless of nationality. Schools must be safe spaces for education, not sites of division and discrimination."
In a 21 August address Feni reiterated the government's condemnation of the group's activities saying, "Operation Dudula would do well to remember that the government must act within legislative frameworks and constitutional provisions."
"And in this regard, as alluded to in our statement: we call on Operation Dudula activists to refrain from adopting vigilante tactics around schools."
"The actions of Operation Dudula are objectionable and are unnecessary, at least in so far as schools are concerned."