Maseru __ The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, of the Parliament of South Africa (SA) Mr. Makhi Feni, has advised parents of learners who are foreign nationals to be vigilant, and preferably not send their children to school next week.

Mr Feni said the committee remained concerned with the pronouncement through media posts that Operation Dudula activists will, beginning on Wednesday, block foreign children from accessing schools in SA.

Feni said, “We condemn this conduct from Operation Dudula activists, and we call on them not to distract school operations. Learning time is of essence and especially this close to preliminary and final examinations. We call on the Department of Basic Education to put measures in place to ensure this illegal action does not happen, and that whoever threatens the safety of learners is held responsible.

Last week, social media posts indicated that certain SA schools that were not mentioned will be targeted and the parliament has observed that Operation Dudula has been engaging in risky and illegal activities around healthcare centres.

Feni said methods of Operation Dudula were questionable and that they are doing what the government had put in place a legislative framework to resolve in many other affected sectors.

“These violent actions have the potential to be such a traumatic experience for young children and must be stopped. The uncoordinated activism by Operation Dudula is a concern, and could likely be hijacked by criminal elements.”

He called on school principals to remain vigilant and do anything necessary to safeguard the welfare of learners while they are in their care.

Although there are no official statistics on the number of Basotho children who attend school in SA, a number of primary, and high schools, especially in the Free State have learners from Lesotho.