By Enyichukwu Enemanna
South African authorities have expressed gratitude to Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin for helping to secure the return of 17 of their nationals allegedly tricked into joining the Russia-Ukraine war which started since 2022.
South African government last November said it had received distress calls from the group of men who had joined mercenary forces in the conflict.
The men were allegedly lured to Russia with a promise that they were going to be trained to provide bodyguard service but instead ended up on the front line of the war in Ukraine.
South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that four of them had returned last Friday, 11 others would be “on their way home soon” and another two at a later stage. An investigation into their recruitment has been launched, it added.
Working as a mercenary or fighting on behalf of another government is illegal in South Africa, unless the government authorises it.
Relatives of the men said when they had arrived in Russia, they were given contracts to sign.
The contract terms were however written in Russia language, making it difficult for them to understand it was to fight as mercenaries against Ukrainian forces.
Ramaphosa said the South African government, working closely with Russian officials, had secured the men’s return, with most expected back soon.
“Two remain in Russia with one in a hospital in Moscow, while the other one is being processed before finalising his travel arrangements,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said in a statement on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa had spoken to Putin about the situation on 10 February, Magwenya explained.
“President Ramaphosa has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Vladimir Putin who responded positively to his call to support the process of returning the men home,” Magwenya said.
South Africa’s embassy in Moscow would continue monitoring the lone citizen still in hospital until he was able to travel home, he added.
The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has been named as the alleged recruiter in the trafficking scheme, an allegation she denies.
Zuma-Sambudla, who was forced to resign as an MP over the scandal in November 2025 said in an affidavit that she thought the men – some of whom are her relatives – were going to Russia for “lawful” training.
“I would not, under any circumstances, knowingly expose my own family or any other person to harm,” she added.
The former MP filed her statement with police after her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, accused her of tricking South Africans to join the war and laid a criminal complaint against her in November.
