South Africa: Four Men Arrested Attempting to Travel to Russia to Join the Fight

The police in South Africa announced on Saturday that they arrested four men at Johannesburg Airport while attempting to travel to Russia via the UAE, suspected of intending to join the Russian army.

This action follows previous reports about 17 South African citizens stranded in Ukraine after being lured by fake contracts to fight alongside mercenary forces.

Local law prohibits citizens from providing any military support to foreign governments or participating in foreign armies without official permission, which prompted the elite unit known as the "Hawks" to intervene.

The unit clarified that initial investigations revealed the involvement of a woman from South Africa in facilitating the travel of these men and recruiting them for the Russian army.

The detainees are set to appear in court on charges of violating the Foreign Military Assistance Act, while President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered a comprehensive investigation into how citizens ended up in the conflict zones in Ukraine, with ongoing efforts to bring them back to the country.

The police also announced that they are investigating Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, after her half-sister accused her of being involved in luring youth to Russia with false promises.

Zuma-Sambudla resigned from parliament on Friday and has not issued any official comment on these allegations so far.