Police open case against Operation Dudula after Nasrec protest standoff

A police officer was taken to hospital after being injured during a violent protest staged by the controversial group Operation Dudula (OD) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

The group staged the demonstration outside the venue on Saturday, coinciding with the first day of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The protest, intended to argue that South Africa should prioritise addressing its domestic issues over the G20 agenda, quickly escalated into violence following a standoff between Operation Dudula members and the police.

Protests are restricted to a specific designated area near the Nasrec Expo Centre, where Operation Dudula had previously held demonstrations.

During the recent protest, the group attempted to leave this designated zone and move their demonstration to the corner of Nasrec and Chris Hani Road. This particular route is used by heads of state and other international delegates to access the venue.

When dozens of police officers intervened to prevent this movement, tear gas was discharged close to Operation Dudula’s leader, ZandileDabula.

READ: Operation Dudula vows to continue G20 protests despite police stand-off

Dabula commented on the perceived police aggression, stating:

"The sad thing is that the force that they are showing to us as South Africans, they can’t show it to criminals."

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that an officer was injured during the clash.

“They also started spraying tear gas. As a result, one police officer has been taken to hospital for medical attention,” Mathe said.

Police have since opened a case against Operation Dudula for allegedly inciting public violence following the events at Nasrec.