🔗 Share this article ‘Outright Evil’: Anguish and Fury as South Africans Allegedly Tricked into Fighting for Russian Forces A mother has not heard from her son since the end of August. The last time they spoke, he voiced concern that he was being dispatched to the battle lines of the war between Russia and Ukraine. From that moment, she has been gravely ill with worry. “My health is truly suffering,” she stated, exhaustion evident in her voice. “I suffer panic attacks, I’m in and out of hospital, heart palpitations. It’s just a whole lot. Headaches, I’m dizzy all the time. It’s not easy for me.” The young man was part of a group of 17 South African and two citizens of Botswana men who, according to legal filings, were tricked into serving with Russian military forces. The alleged scheme is connected with a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma. A Political Bombshell Claims about the individual's role began to surface last month after the national authorities said it was attempting to assist nationals stranded in Ukraine. Subsequently, in a bombshell intervention, a different family member, lodged a formal complaint alleging that Zuma-Sambudla and two others had deceptively recruited the men. This claim rippled through the nation, where the wider scandal has shone a light on the dire economic situation facing many of its young people. Statistics show a large portion of under-35s are not in work or education. The men are believed to be trapped in a war they did not sign up for, while their families thousands of miles away dread for their lives. The Initial Contact The mother, whose identity is protected, said she and her son were introduced to the accused via a family connection years ago. She stated that contact was made in the middle of the year with what was described as an exciting opportunity in the foreign country. Some of the men were allegedly told they would be trained as bodyguards for a faction led by Jacob Zuma. Others were allegedly told they could enrol on a self-improvement course, upon completion they could study abroad and even obtain Russian citizenship. Initial wariness was overcome by agreement. “I recall requesting for contracts for the school and it was handled with great urgency,” the mother said. “The message was: ‘They need to go, they need to go urgently.’” Political Connections Zuma-Sambudla, has long been a fierce defender of her parent, who holds significant sway nationally. Longstanding relations between South African political structures and Moscow date back decades. The former president has been a leading figure in pushing for closer relationships with countries often at in conflict with Western powers. The accused has also publicly expressed her backing for Russia. Online, she has made statements aligning herself with the government in Moscow. Separately, she is facing legal proceedings on charges of serious offenses related to online posts during previous riots. She denies those charges. From Airport to Battlefield The group reportedly met at a major international airport in early July before traveling to Moscow. Messages from online forums from July and August reportedly show the men's growing unease. By mid-August, the men began questioning from their contacts, stating they were separated. One message explicitly stated: “We have been placed with a paramilitary organization, in Ukraine. We are not in Russia.” In late August, the son called his mother to say he was being pressured to sign a contract in Russian. A document linked to another member of the group appears to be a contract with a specific military unit that has been involved in the war since its outset. Official Actions and Family Despair Recently, the office of the South African president confirmed it had received distress calls the men and was attempting to bring them home. The government emphasized that recruiting for external armed forces without official permission is against the law. A deep rivalry between current and former leaders adds a layer of complexity to the situation. At first, the group included 20 South Africans, but three were allowed to return home. A mid-November call between the accused and families of the men reportedly yielded no answers. Soon thereafter, the police report was lodged by another family member, claiming her sibling and others of enticing the men “under false pretences” and handing them to a Russian mercenary group. Reacting to this, the accused submitted a statement asserting she had been misled by an associate into believing it was a legitimate program. “Under no circumstances would I knowingly expose anyone to harm,” she said in parts of her statement. She subsequently stepped down from her elected role. The other named recruiters were unavailable for comment. A government spokesperson said there was “no update” on efforts to repatriate the men. Foreign embassies have not responded to requests for comment. A Wider Pattern Reports suggest that hundreds of African nationals are fighting alongside Moscow's military in Ukraine, leading to appeals for nations to alert their populations about such recruitment. In a separate case, several other South Africans among them a public figure recently appeared in court on similar allegations relating to involvement for Russia. Throughout this ordeal, the mother continues to be consumed by fear and full of confusion and rage. “To think that someone could take a child … That constitutes outright evil,” she said. “Promises were made that they would not see combat and she betrayed them like that. I mean, who does that?”
A mother has not heard from her son since the end of August. The last time they spoke, he voiced concern that he was being dispatched to the battle lines of the war between Russia and Ukraine. From that moment, she has been gravely ill with worry. “My health is truly suffering,” she stated, exhaustion evident in her voice. “I suffer panic attacks, I’m in and out of hospital, heart palpitations. It’s just a whole lot. Headaches, I’m dizzy all the time. It’s not easy for me.” The young man was part of a group of 17 South African and two citizens of Botswana men who, according to legal filings, were tricked into serving with Russian military forces. The alleged scheme is connected with a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma. A Political Bombshell Claims about the individual's role began to surface last month after the national authorities said it was attempting to assist nationals stranded in Ukraine. Subsequently, in a bombshell intervention, a different family member, lodged a formal complaint alleging that Zuma-Sambudla and two others had deceptively recruited the men. This claim rippled through the nation, where the wider scandal has shone a light on the dire economic situation facing many of its young people. Statistics show a large portion of under-35s are not in work or education. The men are believed to be trapped in a war they did not sign up for, while their families thousands of miles away dread for their lives. The Initial Contact The mother, whose identity is protected, said she and her son were introduced to the accused via a family connection years ago. She stated that contact was made in the middle of the year with what was described as an exciting opportunity in the foreign country. Some of the men were allegedly told they would be trained as bodyguards for a faction led by Jacob Zuma. Others were allegedly told they could enrol on a self-improvement course, upon completion they could study abroad and even obtain Russian citizenship. Initial wariness was overcome by agreement. “I recall requesting for contracts for the school and it was handled with great urgency,” the mother said. “The message was: ‘They need to go, they need to go urgently.’” Political Connections Zuma-Sambudla, has long been a fierce defender of her parent, who holds significant sway nationally. Longstanding relations between South African political structures and Moscow date back decades. The former president has been a leading figure in pushing for closer relationships with countries often at in conflict with Western powers. The accused has also publicly expressed her backing for Russia. Online, she has made statements aligning herself with the government in Moscow. Separately, she is facing legal proceedings on charges of serious offenses related to online posts during previous riots. She denies those charges. From Airport to Battlefield The group reportedly met at a major international airport in early July before traveling to Moscow. Messages from online forums from July and August reportedly show the men's growing unease. By mid-August, the men began questioning from their contacts, stating they were separated. One message explicitly stated: “We have been placed with a paramilitary organization, in Ukraine. We are not in Russia.” In late August, the son called his mother to say he was being pressured to sign a contract in Russian. A document linked to another member of the group appears to be a contract with a specific military unit that has been involved in the war since its outset. Official Actions and Family Despair Recently, the office of the South African president confirmed it had received distress calls the men and was attempting to bring them home. The government emphasized that recruiting for external armed forces without official permission is against the law. A deep rivalry between current and former leaders adds a layer of complexity to the situation. At first, the group included 20 South Africans, but three were allowed to return home. A mid-November call between the accused and families of the men reportedly yielded no answers. Soon thereafter, the police report was lodged by another family member, claiming her sibling and others of enticing the men “under false pretences” and handing them to a Russian mercenary group. Reacting to this, the accused submitted a statement asserting she had been misled by an associate into believing it was a legitimate program. “Under no circumstances would I knowingly expose anyone to harm,” she said in parts of her statement. She subsequently stepped down from her elected role. The other named recruiters were unavailable for comment. A government spokesperson said there was “no update” on efforts to repatriate the men. Foreign embassies have not responded to requests for comment. A Wider Pattern Reports suggest that hundreds of African nationals are fighting alongside Moscow's military in Ukraine, leading to appeals for nations to alert their populations about such recruitment. In a separate case, several other South Africans among them a public figure recently appeared in court on similar allegations relating to involvement for Russia. Throughout this ordeal, the mother continues to be consumed by fear and full of confusion and rage. “To think that someone could take a child … That constitutes outright evil,” she said. “Promises were made that they would not see combat and she betrayed them like that. I mean, who does that?”