South Africans Unwittingly Join Russia's War Efforts in Ukraine

In July 2025, a 46-year-old South African father of three received a phone call offering him a yearlong bodyguard training program in Russia. The caller claimed to be Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of Jacob Zuma, former president of South Africa, promising employment in security for Zuma's political party after training.

However, within six weeks of arriving in Russia, he found himself outfitted in military fatigues and armed with a rifle, ultimately deployed to the front lines in Ukraine's Donbas region. The man stated, 'We had been lied to.

There was no bodyguard training. We were going to war.' Currently, seventeen South African nationals have sent distress signals to President Cyril Ramaphosa's office, pleading for rescue from the conflict.

Ramaphosa has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding these men’s recruitment. The South African Police Service has announced they are looking into criminal charges against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, accused by her sister of deceiving these men into joining a Russian mercenary group without their knowledge.

This incident has sparked a family rift within the Zuma clan, highlighting internal strife among one of South Africa's prominent political families. The police have indicated that they are taking the allegations seriously, considering the implications for South African citizens abroad and the potential violation of international law by these recruitment practices.

This troubling situation raises serious concerns about the safety of South Africans overseas and the country's foreign policy stance regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As investigations continue, the plight of the South African men caught in this conflict underscores the risks faced by individuals seeking employment abroad, particularly in volatile regions.