Members of Operation Dudula allegedly delivered notices to some schools in Soweto, warning them against admitting undocumented pupils.
The Gauteng Education Department (GDE) says that citizenship or immigration status is not a determining factor in school placement.
This comes after members of Operation Dudula allegedly delivered notices to some schools in Soweto, warning them against admitting undocumented pupils for the 2026 academic year.
Foreign nationals
Gauteng Education’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona, said the department is aware of the campaign undertaken by Operation Dudula calling for schools to prioritise South African pupils over foreign nationals.
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“Well, as the department, we have interacted with the members of this organisation and reiterated that the admission process is that of following the admission criteria, which will then prioritise children who are within the home feeder zone and those who have siblings in the schools and probably the previous school is closer to a high school that they are applying for.”
Immigration status
Mabona emphasised that citizenship or immigration status is not a determining factor in the allocation of school spaces.
“The disadvantage is that if you don’t have documents, the child might not be eligible after writing their grade 12.
“So it’s quite key that we do have those documents, and hence we will work very closely with the Department of Home Affairs to encourage those that don’t have, because it’s not only foreigners that don’t have documents, we also have South Africans who probably don’t have documents,” Mabona explained.
Warning
Mabona reminded all members of the public that legislation does not permit the disruption of schools or the interference with teaching and learning.
“Schools must remain safe and accessible environments for all pupils, parents and employees. The GDE calls on all organisations to refrain from disrupting schools and the education of pupils.
“The department continues to uphold the rights of every child to access quality education and will ensure that all school admissions are administered in accordance with the law, policy, and ethical governance,” Mabona said.
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