In South Africa’s volatile socio-political landscape, Operation Dudula has emerged as a lightning rod for both praise and condemnation. Framed by its leaders as a grassroots campaign to prioritize South Africans in housing, employment, and healthcare, the movement has gained traction among communities feeling economically sidelined. Yet its confrontational tactics and rhetoric targeting foreign nationals have sparked widespread concern, with critics accusing it of stoking xenophobic sentiment and undermining social cohesion. As the country grapples with rising inequality and unemployment, Operation Dudula forces a national reckoning: is this a legitimate fight for justice, or a dangerous slide into exclusionary populism? The answer may lie in how South Africans choose to define unity in the face of adversity.