Johannesburg - Outside Soweto College in Pimville, members of the civil organisation movement Operation Dudula are preparing to stage a mini picket against what they call the dominance of foreign nationals in public schools across Gauteng province.
The picket is yet to start as more and more members start to trickle in, but members of the police are on hand to monitor the situation so that it does not escalate.
The same pickets are expected in other parts of the province, including Johannesburg central, Sandton, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni.
Members of the movement said they were tired of the failure to prioritise locals in public schools.
Today's pickets at various Gauteng Department of Education district offices come just two days before the start of the 2023 school year on Wednesday, January 12, 2023.
"We want the department of education to prioritise locals when it comes to the allocation of spaces at public schools," one member of the movement told The Star outside the offices.
The picketers were singing struggle songs in anticipation of more members who were expected to join the protest.
Another person complained that there was a high influx of illegal immigrants, another reason for the picket.
"There is a high number of illegal foreigners in the country; this has caused a lot of problems for our children. We don't want foreigners here," the Operation Dudula member said.
"Our children are suffering and can't get schools. They (foreign nationals) must leave. We don't want them here. Our sisters are unemployed, yet they have degrees. The department is giving jobs to foreigners, yet our sisters are unemployed. We are struggling as South Africans," another said.
The protesters said they would scrutinise everyone coming into the offices to see if they were not illegal foreigners.
Others vowed to visit and picket at some of the schools in Soweto that they said were employing foreign nationals.
"We can't have this situation of being dominated by Mozambicans and Zimbabweans. South Africa is for South Africans. They must go and fix their countries. When we visit their countries, we are monitored and punished, but yet they come here to make our country their playground," another Dudula member said.
The Star