‘Outright Evil’: Anguish and Fury as Citizens Reportedly Tricked into Fighting for Russia

A mother has not heard from her son since late August. The last time they spoke, he expressed fear that he was being sent to the frontlines of the war between the Russian Federation and its neighbor. From that moment, she has been physically unwell with worry.

“My health is truly suffering,” she stated, exhaustion evident in her voice. “I get anxiety attacks, my hospital visits are frequent, palpitations. It's overwhelming. Constant headaches and dizziness. It’s not easy for me.”

The young man was part of a group of seventeen South African and two Botswanan men who, as stated in legal filings, were deceptively recruited for fighting for Russia. The purported operation is linked to a family member of former South African president Jacob Zuma.

A Political Bombshell

Claims about Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's involvement began to emerge last month after the South African government said it was trying to help citizens stranded in the war zone. Then, in a dramatic development, another of Zuma’s daughters, lodged a formal complaint claiming that several individuals had deceptively recruited the men.

This claim rippled through the nation, where the wider scandal has highlighted the dire economic situation facing a significant youth demographic. Statistics show a substantial percentage of young adults are not in work or education.

The men are thought to remain caught in a war they did not sign up for, while their relatives far from home dread for their lives.

The Initial Contact

The mother, whose name has been changed, said she and her son were connected with the accused through a relative when her son was still a child. She stated that contact was made in June with what was presented as an lucrative prospect in Russia.

A portion of the group were allegedly told they would be instructed to become bodyguards for a faction associated with Jacob Zuma. Others were given the impression they could join a personal development programme, upon completion they could study abroad and even obtain foreign nationality.

Initial wariness was overcome by agreement. “I remember asking for written agreements for the school and it was just so rushed,” the mother said. “The message was: ‘They need to go, it is an immediate necessity.’”

A Complex Backdrop

The accused, is known as a fierce defender of her parent, who holds considerable political influence nationally. Longstanding relations between South African political structures and Moscow date back many years. The former president has been a leading figure in pushing for stronger alliances with nations often at in conflict with Western powers.

She has also publicly expressed her support of Russia. Online, she has shared posts showing solidarity to the government in Moscow.

In another matter, she is facing legal proceedings on charges of serious offenses related to social media activity during previous riots. She denies those charges.

From Airport to Battlefield

The group allegedly gathered at a travel hub in the summer before flying to Moscow. Communication records from online forums dated July and August apparently indicate the group's concerns.

In the following weeks, the men started demanding answers from their contacts, stating they were being split up. A communication explicitly stated: “We have been placed with a paramilitary organization, in Ukraine. We are not in Russia.”

Towards the month's end, the son called his mother to say he was being pressured to sign a contract in a language he did not understand. A document associated with another member of the group seems to be a service agreement with a designated force that has been involved in the war since its beginning.

Government Response and Ongoing Anguish

Recently, the national leadership said it had received distress calls the men and was attempting to secure their return. The government emphasized that assisting foreign militaries without official permission is against the law.

The political rift between the two political figures introduces an element of complexity to the case. At first, the group included twenty individuals, but three were allowed to come back.

A subsequent conversation between Zuma-Sambudla and relatives of the men allegedly provided little clarity. Soon thereafter, the police report was filed by another family member, accusing her sibling and others of luring 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 deceived by another recruiter into believing it was a proper training course. “I would not knowingly expose my own family to harm,” she said in excerpts of her statement. She subsequently stepped down from her political position.

The other named recruiters were unavailable for a statement. A government spokesperson said there was no new information on efforts to repatriate the men. Diplomatic missions have not responded to requests for comment.

A Wider Pattern

Reports suggest that a significant number of African nationals are serving with Moscow's military in Ukraine, leading to appeals for nations to alert their populations about such recruitment.

Unrelated to this incident, several other South Africans including a media personality recently faced a judge on charges relating to recruitment and fighting for Russia.

Throughout this ordeal, the mother continues to be consumed by fear and bewildered and angry. “To think that someone could take a child … I think that is sheer wickedness,” she said. “She kept assuring them that they weren’t going to war and she betrayed them like that. What kind of person does that?”