The South African Police Service has opened several cases against Operation Dudula after a confrontation near the Johannesburg Expo Centre, where President Cyril Ramaphosa and global leaders are attending the G20 Summit.
Protesters from the MK Party and Operation Dudula gathered near the high-security zone. Insisting on speaking with the President and international delegates.
Police confirm arrests and charges
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said officers arrested two members of Operation Dudula after the group attempted to force its way towards the venue.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, she said police had set aside four designated “speakers’ corners” for demonstrations.
She said the Dudula group ignored this and attempted to block the Baragwanath and Nasrec roads, which serve as key access routes for heads of state and dignitaries.
Mathe said the suspects, aged 48 and 54, face charges of public violence and assaulting a police officer.
They also face a charge of contravening a court order that bars Operation Dudula from intimidating or harassing foreign nationals.
One officer was taken to the hospital after being hit with objects and pepper spray during the scuffle.
She added that Operation Dudula’s main grievance remained its campaign against what it calls “illegal foreign nationals”.
Officers used teargas and pepper spray
Officers used teargas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd, and kept water cannons on standby.
Videos on social media captured Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula rubbing her eyes in a vehicle after chemical agents hit her.
Dabula criticised the police, accusing officers of using excessive force on South Africans while failing to confront criminals.
She linked her complaint to the ongoing Madlanga Commission, which is probing policing failures.
