President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of South African men who were lured into the battle lines between Russia and Ukraine by elements that remain under investigation.
The South African government, working closely with Russian authorities, secured the safe return of the men after receiving distress calls from 17 South African men aged between 20 and 39.
“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,” the Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
Putin pledged his support during a telephone call with Ramaphosa held on 10 February.
Four men have already returned to the country, whilst 11 will be on their way home soon. Two remain in Russia, with one in a hospital in Moscow and the other being processed before finalising his travel arrangements.
The South African embassy in Moscow will continue to monitor the individual in hospital until he has fully recovered to travel.
The investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into mercenary activities is ongoing.
In November 2025, Pretoria said it had received distress calls from 17 men who were trapped in the epicentre of fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into joining mercenary groups.
The men were allegedly promised lucrative employment and security training in Russia before being sent to the war zone.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola previously said the men worked for private security companies in Russia rather than reporting directly to the Russian army.
“The only thing we can say is that they were lured, indeed, under false pretence, and that is the subject of a police investigation,” Lamola said.
Ukrainian ambassador to South Africa Oleksandr Shcherba urged South Africans not to be fooled into joining the conflict, calling it “not your war”.
Five people appeared in Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court in December 2025 on charges of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
Patricia Mantula (39), Xolani Ntuli (46), Thulani Mazibuko (24), Siphamdla Chabalala (23) and Sfiso Mabena (21) were arrested, with four intercepted at OR Tambo International Airport whilst attempting to board a flight to Russia via the United Arab Emirates.
Mantula was granted bail of R30 000 with travel restrictions confining her to South Africa, whilst Ntuli received R15 000 bail and the remaining three were each granted R5 000 bail. The case was postponed to 10 February 2026.
Investigators alleged that Mantula orchestrated recruitment and travel arrangements and had travelled to Russia five times since September 2025.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma and a former MK Party MP, resigned from parliament in November 2025 after allegations emerged that she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries.
The Democratic Alliance laid criminal charges against Zuma-Sambudla over the alleged recruitment and trafficking, with police opening an inquiry docket into the matter.
Reports in South African media said the men were allegedly sent to Russia for security training by the opposition MK party, which is headed by Zuma, who served as South Africa’s president between 2009 and 2018.
South African law prohibits its citizens from fighting for a foreign country’s army without government authorisation.
The war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has drawn in mercenaries on both sides, including from several African countries.
An AFP investigation spoke to four Kenyans recently returned from Russia who said they were deceived by a Nairobi recruitment agency into travelling to Russia under false promises of well-paid jobs.
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