Three women belonging to the pressure group Operation Dudula were arrested by Gauteng police on Thursday for allegedly storming into a Soweto medical care centre and questioning patients about their nationality.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said three women aged between 49 and 60 were arrested in Diepkloof, Soweto, after they allegedly stormed into a medical care centre and questioned each patient about their nationality, demanding their identity documents.
The incident took place at the Lillian Ngoyi Community Health Centre in Diepkloof.
“Police were called to the medical care centre after the suspects were locked in one of the labour wards where the nursing staff and patients felt that their rights were violated by these individuals,” said Masondo.
Masondo said the suspects were arrested and charged with contravention of the National Health Act and public violence, amongst other charges.
He said the three women are expected to appear before Orlando Magistrates’ Court next week Monday.
The three women are currently in police custody.
Two suspects arrested
In a separate incident, Masondo said two suspects were arrested in Booysens, Johannesburg, after they allegedly assaulted a man who came to a medical care centre for treatment.
Masondo said that on Monday, August 4 2025, the victim was queuing at the local medical care centre when he was approached by a woman who demanded to see his identity document or passport.
“After he could not produce the documents, the suspect called two of her accomplices, and they started to assault the victim and forced him to leave the medical care centre,” said Masondo.
He said the victim later opened a case at Booysens Police Station, and two suspects were traced and arrested.
Masondo said they were charged with contravention of the National Health Act and common assault.
Department abreast of developments
Regarding the incident in Soweto, Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the department is aware of the incident.
“The matter has been reported to the police, and a case was opened,” said Modiba.
Modiba said the individuals (three women) gained unauthorised access to the labour ward at Lillian Ngoyi Community Health Centre and attempted to remove a patient they claimed to be a foreign national.
“They were arrested by the police for violating human rights and endangering the lives of a mother and her unborn child,” said Modiba.
Still on the Soweto incident, Operation Dudula President Zandile Dubula said the movement is not going to stop with its ongoing campaign of going into public clinics and hospitals and demanding that patients who are not South Africans to leave the premises.
Dubula also said the movement will not stop entering public clinics and hospitals and demanding that patients show them proof that they are South African nationals.
“I feel there is a concerted effort to dismantle our operation. These arrests are a threat to make us stop what we are doing. We are not going to stop what we are doing. We are doing what we are doing to save our country. The service at public health care facilities is only for South Africans.
“Foreign nationals must go to private hospitals if they want medical care and they must pay at private hospitals,” said Dubula.
