South Africa has confirmed that two of its citizens were killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine after falling victim to a deceptive recruitment operation, the country’s foreign minister announced on Thursday.
The disclosure marks the first official acknowledgment that South Africans allegedly enticed to Russia with promises of employment or training have died in the conflict.
Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola did not release the names of the deceased or provide details about when or where they were killed. He made the announcement during a visit to the families of 11 South Africans who arrived home on Wednesday. The group had reportedly been recruited last year under the pretext of receiving security training in Russia, only to find themselves deployed in the war in Ukraine.
According to Lamola, four others linked to the same operation were repatriated earlier. Two more remain in Russia and are suffering from “severe injuries.”
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Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, is under police investigation over allegations that she played a role in recruiting the 17 men. She has denied any wrongdoing. Zuma-Sambudla stepped down as a member of parliament in November after the claims surfaced.
Lamola clarified that the two South Africans confirmed dead were not part of the group allegedly recruited by Zuma-Sambudla. However, he said they were “part of another recruitment drive or another scheme that took them there.”
Addressing the broader case involving the 17 men who were permitted to leave the front lines following diplomatic engagements between Pretoria and Moscow, Lamola said accountability was essential.
“The law must take its course,” Lamola said regarding the cases of the 17 men who were allowed to leave the front lines in Ukraine after diplomatic negotiations between South Africa and Russia. “Everyone who is involved in this scheme must be held accountable and there must be consequences.”
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The issue appears to extend well beyond South Africa. Ukrainian authorities estimate that more than 1,700 Africans have been recruited to fight on Russia’s side. Several African governments have reported that their nationals were misled by offers of well-paying jobs or vocational training, only to be sent into combat.
In Kenya, an intelligence briefing presented to parliament last week indicated that 1,000 Kenyans had been recruited under false job promises and later deployed to the battlefield. Nairobi says at least 89 Kenyans remain on the front line, 39 are hospitalized, 28 are missing in action, and others have since returned home. One death has been officially confirmed.
On Thursday, Kenyan authorities arrested and charged a man accused of trafficking 25 Kenyans to Russia last year in a scheme that allegedly funneled them into the war.
The recruitment push has also reached Asia. An investigation published by the Associated Press in January found that Bangladeshi workers were drawn to Russia with assurances of civilian employment but were instead thrust into combat conditions in Ukraine. Many reportedly faced threats of violence, imprisonment or death.
As the war entered its fourth year this week, Russia has continued efforts to bolster its ranks, including by turning to foreign recruitment networks.
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