A prominent South African radio presenter has appeared in court, accused of recruiting her fellow citizens to fight for the Russian army in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Presenter and Four Men Detained
Nonkululeko Mantula, a 39-year-old presenter on the state broadcaster's SAFM radio station, was arrested alongside four men following a police tip-off. South African authorities allege that Mantula recruited the four men and organised their travel to join Russian forces.
Police revealed that three of the men were intercepted while attempting to board a flight to Russia, with a connection in the United Arab Emirates. Investigators believe a fifth individual, also allegedly recruited by Mantula, has already successfully travelled to Russia. Under South African law, it is illegal to fight for another country's military without official government permission.
The five suspects were ordered to remain in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for next week.
Separate Probe into Former President's Daughter
This arrest coincides with a separate and high-profile police investigation into Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma. She is accused of deceiving 17 men into travelling to Russia to fight as mercenaries in Ukraine.
Zuma-Sambudla resigned as a lawmaker for her father's opposition MK Party last week following the allegations. Her half-sister publicly claimed the men were duped into travelling under the false pretence of receiving security training that would lead to employment.
The South African government confirmed this month that it had received distress calls from the group of 17, who stated they were forced to fight for a Russian mercenary group in eastern Ukraine and are now trapped. Another political party alleged it had information that the men's passports and clothes were burned and their phones confiscated upon arrival in Russia.
International Recruitment Scams Exposed
These cases highlight a broader pattern of alleged international recruitment by Russia. The country has been repeatedly accused of luring men from other nations to fight in Ukraine by promising them jobs. Furthermore, there are allegations of tricking women from South Africa and other parts of Africa into working in Russian drone factories through social media campaigns advertising fake roles in catering and hospitality.
In response, the South African government has issued public warnings, urging citizens to be extremely cautious of online campaigns promoted by social media influencers that promise lucrative jobs or study opportunities in Russia.
The government has launched a formal investigation into how the 17 men ended up on the frontlines and is collaborating with international law enforcement agencies to repatriate them. Zuma-Sambudla has previously been accused of promoting Russian interests regarding the Ukraine war. A 2023 report by the Centre for Information Resilience stated her social media account was instrumental in spreading pro-Russia messages soon after the invasion began in early 2022.
