Cape Town – The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has rejected calls by Operation Dudula to exclude undocumented children from schools, emphasising that immigration status does not influence learner placements.
According to The Citizen, the department explained that school admissions are governed by the Gauteng School Admissions Regulations, which take into account factors such as feeder zones, proximity to the learner’s home, siblings already enrolled at the school, and the learner’s previous school. GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said, “Citizenship or immigration status is not a determining factor in the allocation of school spaces.”
As reported by Jacaranda FM, Mabona added that while all learners have the right to education, a lack of documentation could affect them later in their schooling journey. “The disadvantage is that if you don’t have documents, the child might not be eligible after writing their grade 12. … It’s quite key that we do have those documents, and hence we will work very closely with the Department of Home Affairs to encourage those that don’t have,” he said.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane denies Operation Dudula’s claims that the department prioritises undocumented children of foreign nationals over South African children. Chiloane says the learners that are placed first are those that have fully complied with documentation.… pic.twitter.com/zPHIJjGfTr
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 23, 2025
No South African child will be deprived education in favour of illegal foreigners. pic.twitter.com/yuINE9LBeD
— Operation Dudula (@0perationDudula) September 22, 2025
Operation Dudula’s leader, Zandile Dabula, has been clear about what their campaign intends: starting in January 2026, the group says it will station members at schools to prevent “illegal foreign children” from enrolling in state schools, arguing that public schools should be “reserved for South African children only.”
Dabula has proposed that foreign national children, unless fully documented (study visas etc.), should go to private institutions, or be placed “last on the queue.” “They must be checked, thoroughly checked … Our South Africans will come first,” she said.
IOL reported that the department reaffirmed its commitment to South Africa’s constitutional guarantee of education, saying no child may be denied access to school based on nationality or immigration status.
Operation Dudula President has spoken, People of Soweto and South Africa the time is now, from clinics to schools, we will clean this country bafuna bangafuni. pic.twitter.com/MNVJ38aaDB
— Freeman Bhengu ✍🏾 (@zibuseman) September 21, 2025
According to TimesLIVE, Parliament has publicly denounced Operation Dudula’s plans. Makhi Feni, Chair of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, called the proposed disruptions “objectionable and unnecessary,” and warned against politicising school admissions. “Schools must not become sites of political confrontation,” he said.
Joy Maimela, Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, echoed that sentiment: “Schools must be centres of learning, not environments of fear.”
GDE has also flagged that law enforcement agencies may be required to step in if Dudula’s campaign crosses legal boundaries or disrupts schools. Mabona stressed that the department has a constitutional obligation to educate all children of school-going age.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
