JOHANNESBURG - Operation Dudula's has no right or power to prevent undocumented foreign national from accessing public healthcare and schools according to a ruling by the High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
READ: SAHRC drags Operation Dudula, March and March to court
The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa brought the case to court on behalf of various groups.
The case calls the actions of the movement: harassment, intimidation, and targeting migrants.
The court ruled in SERI's favour, saying Operation Dudula's actions are unlawful and xenophobic.
The High Court in Johannesburg has interdicted them from blocking clinics and schools.
SERI's litigation director, Nkosinathi Sithole said, "This is an exciting moment, not only for our clients but for the South African constitution."
"Considering what we have been seeing is dastardly criminal conduct by Operation Dudula of blocking people from facilities, including healthcare facilities, education, demanding identity documents of people in public: all of that has been declared unlawful and have been interdicted from doing so."
"The court did not only talk about Operation Dudula, it spoke about the state as well. This includes the Minister of Police and the Minister of Home Affairs, to say that they too must make sure that they are not complacent in these acts of Operation Dudula."
Sithole said, "the state cannot simply enter people's homes and start doing raids. They need to have a search warrant, they need to have arrest warrants. In public, they need to have a clear, reasonable suspicion that someone is an undocumented foreign national before they can ask for such identity documents."
Operation Dudula members outside the court said they would not be changing their stance and would "do what needs to be done" on the streets.
BREAKING NEWS: The Johannesburg High Court has ruled that @OperationDudula’s conduct is unlawful. They have been interdicted and restrained from blocking foreign nationals from accessing clinics, intimidating and harassing foreign nationals, etc. Court order below 👇#eNCA pic.twitter.com/qpugAYt9Xg
— Nabeelah Shaikh (@Nabeelah_Shaikh) November 4, 2025