Two arrested as Operation Dudula protest turns violent near G20 Summit

Police arrested two men, aged 46 and 54, after a police officer was injured and taken to a nearby medical facility during a violent protest by Operation Dudula near the Nasrec Expo Centre, where the G20 Leaders Summit is taking place.

The incident occurred on Saturday, November 22, the first day of the summit. 

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the arrests.

She said the SAPS Public Order Policing (POP) unit has registered a case of public violence, assault of a police officer and contravention of a court order against Operation Dudula.

“This follows a protest near the G20 Leaders’ Summit in which Dudula members attempted to forcefully march towards the venue and block Baragwanth and Nasrec Road, a route used by foreign heads of state and dignitaries to access the summit.”

Mathe said that despite several warnings from POP members, the group failed to comply, leading to a scuffle in which protesters sprayed officers with pepper spray, threw objects and pushed police.

“One police officer was injured and taken to a nearby medical facility for medical assistance,” she said.

Police then used a push-back method with protective shields to control the crowd and redirect them to the designated speakers’ corner.

“Police confirm the arrest of two men aged 46 and 54 years of age,” Mathe added.

“The NATJOINTS thanks other groupings who protested at the four allocated speakers’ corners near the venue today for doing so within the confines of the law.”

She said the NATJOINTS will continue to enforce the law “without fear or favour” to ensure the G20 Leaders’ Summit takes place in a safe and peaceful environment.

The clashes followed an earlier incident in which Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula was hit with tear gas and pepper spray as SAPS officers confronted protesters near the Nasrec Expo Centre, where President Cyril Ramaphosa and world leaders are attending the summit.

Earlier, IOL reported that SAPS officers pushed back a group of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) members and Operation Dudula activists who had gathered near the heavily fortified venue, demanding to speak to President Ramaphosa and visiting dignitaries.

Officers deployed tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd, and water cannons were positioned at the scene.

Videos circulating on social media showed Dabula sitting in a vehicle, rubbing her eyes and coughing after exposure to the chemical agents.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Dabula criticised police for using what she described as excessive force against South African protesters instead of focusing on criminals.

“The sad thing is that the force they are showing to us as South Africans, they can’t show it to criminals. That is why we are having the Madlanga Commission today,” she said. “When they are supposed to do the right thing to the criminals, they don’t do it. Some of us are arrested for fighting crime - for fighting illegality that is happening in the country.”

Dabula also accused some police officers of corruption, claiming they were “working against” citizens.

“We took people who are illegal in the country to the police station, and some of our members were arrested. What’s the job of the police if they can’t protect citizens? They are working against us - they are corrupt. Because we don’t have R20 to give a bribe, that is how they behave. We know their agenda, and it’s not going to work,” she said.

The protest turned violent, with participants calling for national attention on issues including illegal immigration, farm attacks and civil servants’ pensions.

Other groups, including the Civil Servants Pension Redress Movement (CSPRM), also protested near the venue, raising concerns about alleged discrimination against civil servants.

The “No More Farm Murders” organisation joined the protest, demanding action on what it described as farm killings.

IOL