Seventeen young South African men have been deceived into joining Russian mercenary forces in Ukraine and are now trapped in the war-torn Donbas region, desperately seeking help to return home, Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa revealed Thursday.
The men, aged between 20 and 39, were “lured” into the conflict under false pretences of lucrative employment opportunities, according to both South African government officials and Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Shcherba, who spoke exclusively with AFP.
“We hope that the situation with Russia violating South African legislation and dragging or luring these people into this war will… be an eye-opener for South African society,” Shcherba said during the interview in Pretoria.
Desperate families reach out
The South African presidency confirmed last week that it had received “distress calls” from the men, who are now caught in the epicentre of fighting in eastern Ukraine. The revelation has prompted an outpouring of concern from families back home.
“Ever since this news broke, I received emails from family members of these young people who were lured to the front line. And they were desperate,” Shcherba revealed, adding an emotional plea: “Don’t do that to your mothers and fathers and sisters.”
The recruitment of South Africans to fight in foreign conflicts violates national law, which prohibits citizens from joining foreign armies without explicit government authorisation.
Continental recruitment campaign
The South African case appears to be part of a broader Russian recruitment drive across Africa. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga disclosed last week that at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries have been identified fighting alongside Russian forces.
Local media outlets and Ukrainian officials both confirmed that the South African fighters are serving on the Russian side of the conflict.
Political investigation launched
President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the mercenary recruitment operation. The probe follows explosive allegations by News24 that the men were recruited through the MK party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, who maintained close ties with Moscow during his presidency.
The men were allegedly sent to Russia under the guise of receiving security training before being deployed to Ukraine’s battlefields.
Ambassador Shcherba expressed particular concern about potential political involvement in the recruitment scheme. “If South African politicians were found to have been involved, it makes the whole situation even more precarious,” he warned.
“Not your war”
The Ukrainian diplomat issued a stark warning to other South Africans who might be considering similar opportunities, characterizing the conflict in uncompromising terms.
“My message to South African citizens right now is, please don’t get fooled and don’t get involved to fight in this barbaric, unfair, unjust war,” Shcherba said. “This is not your war, it’s not the war of any decent person on this planet.”
He described the 17 trapped fighters as victims who were “fooled to fight in a war… that Africa has nothing to do with, and it’s a colonial war, so seeing Africans fighting a colonial war against a free country is especially insane.”
Ongoing crisis
As the investigation continues, the fate of the 17 South African men remains uncertain. Their families continue to pressure the government for action, while officials work to determine the full scope of the recruitment operation and whether other South Africans may be similarly trapped.
ALSO READ: Stranded South African mercenaries plead for help to escape Ukraine war zone
