Johannesburg - Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini, the leader of the controversial Dudula Movement has been reportedlh arrested.
Lux, who rose to prominence as a part of the Soweto Parliament first rose to prominence when they defended shopping malls in Soweto during the July looting riots last year following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.
More recently, Lux, under the banner of the Dudula Movement, have been targeting shops owned predominantly by undocumented foreigners and ridding the streets of drugs.
The EFF and the Dudula squared off in Soweto earlier this week following the attack on 59-year-old Soweto resident Victor Ramerafe.
The EFF viewed the attack on Ramerafe as an attempt to provoke the EFF, as he was apparently an EFF member.
Operation Dudula members on Sunday had allegedly raided his house and demanded that he bring out drugs on the premises.
“They did not have a search warrant, they searched and left my house in a messy condition, I have lost my R300 and a small Nokia cellphone. I do not sell drugs,” said Ramerafe to IOL earlier this week.
Earlier this week, there was a stand off between EFF members and members of Operation Dudula outside Dobsonville Police Station on Wednesday morning.
IOL reported that scores of EFF members and supporters including top leaders accompanied pensioner Ramerafe, who was set to open a case against Operation Dudula leader Lux for allegedly breaking into his home, as well as intimidation and assault.
The EFF demanded that Lux be arrested within seven days.
According to TimesLive, who spoke to Operation Dudula deputy chairperson Dan Radebe, who confirmed to them that Lux had been arrested after an interview he did with Kaya FM on Thursday.
“He was informed that it had to do with the Dobsonville case,” Radebe said.
Radebe said told the publication that Lux was being detained at the Johannesburg central police station.
A spokesperson for the police could not immediately be reached for comment.
Police confirmed on Wednesday that a case of housebreaking had been opened against Lux by the victim and the docket had been handed over to the provincial SAPS for further investigations.
Speaking to Kaya FM on Thursday, Lux denied that the Operation Dudula Movement was a vigilante grouping, comparing it to Pagad.
“A lot of people are trying to miscontrue what we are.
“We cannot be a vigilante group… When people are trying to enforce the law without authority, those people are taking things in their own hands without guidance, so that's what a loose definition of what a vigilante group would do.
“With Operation Dudula you will always see a cop in sight, we always plan an operation with the SAPS or the Metro Police and they are part of the operation. All our arrests are handled by the SAPS… There is a gap in our society that nobody wants to deal with and we were brave enough to say enough is enough and we are challenging it alongside Put SA First and alot of civic movements that are aligned with our thinking and philosophies,” he said.
And speaking on eNCA late on Thursday night, he said he would allow the law to take its place.
IOL