IN PICS | 5 arrests as police crack down on Dudula campaigners in Alex

At least five people have been arrested in Alexandra, Gauteng, as police continue to search for those who have been leading and taking part in the “Operation Dudula” campaign targeting illegal foreign nationals in townships.

After clashes that saw several people injured on Monday, members of the police service and Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) maintained a heavy presence in the township and surrounding areas on Tuesday morning.

This comes after Alexandra Dudula Movement supporters burnt tyres in parts of the township as part of the threatened shutdown.

Johannesburg district police commissioner Maj-Gen Max Masha said police have been heavily reinforced in Alexandra since Monday night, especially in its central business area where immigrants suspected of being undocumented had been blocked from selling their products on streets by the Dudula Movement. 

Masha said the police would maintain their presence in the area to ensure the safety of shoppers, who had been encouraged to stay away by the group as part of the shutdown.

“Last night we deployed large numbers of police to ensure people are safe since there was the call for a shutdown. Police were everywhere and we are thankful to residents because they support us and do not support lawlessness,” Masha said.

While there were no Dudula Movement members assembled in numbers in Watt Avenue, police pounced on five people alleged to have been involved in the group’s activities.

“If the community has issues to raise, they are more than welcome to do so, but after raising issues, they must stand back and allow police to do their job,” Masha said.

“We will not allow the community to take the law into their own hands.”

• Visuals by SowetanLIVE’s Siviwe Feketha and Sunday Times photographer Alon Skuy