South African Police Detain Four Men Allegedly Recruited to Serve in Russian Military

Four men heading to Russia have been apprehended by South African authorities at Johannesburg’s airport on suspicion of enlisting to fight for the Russian military, police reported on Saturday.

This announcement follows news that law enforcement is looking into the activities of the daughter of former president Jacob Zuma regarding allegations of her involvement in recruiting individuals for Russian mercenary forces engaged in the conflict in Ukraine.

The men were detained at O.R. Tambo International Airport on Thursday and Friday based on a tip-off and are expected to appear in court near Johannesburg on Monday.

Authorities believe they may have violated South Africa’s legislation that prohibits citizens from fighting for a foreign nation’s military without government approval.

“A preliminary inquiry indicated that a South African woman was allegedly facilitating the travel and recruitment of these individuals into the Russian military,” stated the elite HAWKS police unit, which is leading the investigation.

Last week, police announced they were investigating claims that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, Zuma’s daughter and member of parliament for her father’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, had enticed 17 South African men to Russia «to fight in the Ukrainian war without their knowledge or consent.»

In light of these allegations, Zuma-Sambudla stepped down from her parliamentary position.

According to officials in Kyiv, 1,426 individuals from 36 African nations have reportedly joined the Russian armed forces, although the actual number of foreign combatants may be significantly higher.

In addition to male fighters, several investigations by international media outlets have revealed that African women have also been approached with job offers to work in Russian factories producing drones, particularly in the Tatarstan region of Russia’s Volga area.