South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for facilitating the return of 17 South African citizens who were allegedly duped into fighting alongside Russian forces in the Ukraine war.
The president’s office confirmed on Tuesday that the men are either already home or en route, following direct diplomatic intervention between the two leaders earlier this month.
A Promise of Training, A Reality of War
The group of men traveled to Russia believing they were signing up for legitimate bodyguard training. Instead, according to the South African government, they found themselves thrust onto the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine.
Relatives of the men previously told the BBC that upon arrival in Russia, the recruits were presented with contracts written entirely in Russian—documents they could not read but were later told committed them to fighting as mercenaries.
The South African government first acknowledged the distress calls from the group in November of last year.
Diplomatic Intervention
President Ramaphosa personally raised the matter with President Putin during a phone call on February 10. On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that the outreach had yielded results.
“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 in a statement.
According to the presidency, four of the men returned to South Africa last Friday. Eleven others are expected home shortly, while the remaining two are still in Russia—one receiving treatment in a Moscow hospital and the other finalizing travel arrangements. The South African embassy in Moscow is monitoring the hospitalized citizen until he is cleared to travel.
Recruitment Under Investigation
The incident has sparked a formal investigation into how the men were recruited. Under South African law, it is illegal for citizens to serve as mercenaries or fight for foreign governments without state authorization.
The alleged recruiter at the center of the scandal is Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma. She was forced to resign as a member of parliament in November over the allegations.
Zuma-Sambudla has denied any wrongdoing. In an affidavit, she stated that she believed the men—some of whom are her relatives—were traveling to Russia for lawful training. “I would not, under any circumstances, knowingly expose my own family or any other person to harm,” she said.
The complaint against her was filed by her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, who accused her of tricking South Africans into joining the war.
Separate Arrests Made
In a related but distinct case, South African police arrested five individuals in December, including a radio presenter with the public broadcaster, on charges connected to the alleged recruitment of men for the Russian military. Those five have been released on bail, and their trial has yet to commence.
The repatriation of the 17 men brings a measure of relief to their families, but the broader investigation into the recruitment network—and how South Africans were allegedly misled into a warzone—remains ongoing.
