South Africa seeks to repatriate 17 citizens recruited by Russia to fight against Ukraine
Seventeen South African citizens were allegedly deceived into joining the Russian army and sent to fight against Ukraine.
As reported by Ukrinform, Reuters said this in a news report.
According to South African citizen Dubandlela, his 20-year-old son was promised a job in Russia as a VIP bodyguard. Instead, the young man ended up in trenches fighting in the war against Ukraine. The father claims that his son and at least 16 other South Africans became victims of a recruitment scam and were sent to the front lines.
The case came to light on November 6, when South African authorities received appeals from 17 men aged between 20 and 39 who said they had found themselves serving in the Russian army against their will.
The investigation is being handled by South Africa’s elite police unit known as Hawks. In particular, there are suspicions of possible involvement of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma.
She has denied any involvement in the scam, stating that she herself was misled. Her party has also stressed that Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation from South Africa’s parliament does not constitute an admission of guilt.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said the case was "receiving the highest possible attention."
"The process to retrieve those young men remains a very sensitive process. They are facing grave, grave danger to their lives and we are still in discussions with various authorities, both in Russia as well as in Ukraine, to see how we can free them from the situation they are in,” he said.
According to Reuters, the recruits were offered contracts in Russia written in Russian, without translators, and were assured that they were signing up only for training. Within a few weeks, all the foreigners were sent to war.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a written request for comment on the alleged recruitment scam or on the current circumstances surrounding the enlistment of the 17 South Africans.
As Ukrinform previously reported, on November 6, the South African government said it had received appeals for help from 17 citizens taking part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine and was working to bring them home.
It later emerged that Duduzile Zuma, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, was linked to the recruitment of men from South Africa and Botswana to serve in the Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine. On November 28, she resigned her parliamentary seat amid reports of her involvement in recruitment for the Russian army.
Illustrative photo: ArmyInform