South African authorities have opened an investigation into serious allegations that several citizens were deceived into traveling abroad, only to find themselves coerced into participating in a foreign military conflict.
According to a formal complaint filed with police, a group of 17 men were recruited under the pretence of attending a paramilitary training program in Russia. Instead, they were allegedly handed over to a mercenary group and sent to the front lines of the war in Ukraine without their knowledge or consent. The complaint states that eight of the men are relatives of the individual who filed the report.
The allegations, which include potential violations of laws concerning human trafficking, fraud, and unauthorized foreign military service, are now being handled by the country’s serious crime investigation unit. A police spokesperson confirmed the investigation is in its preliminary stages.
Media reports indicate that some of the stranded men have sent video messages claiming they were persuaded to sign contracts in a language they did not understand, with promises of a year-long training course. In a subsequent development, one of the individuals named in the original complaint has herself filed charges, claiming she was also misled about the nature of the recruitment program.
The case comes amid broader international reports of foreign fighters being recruited—sometimes through coercion or deception—into the ongoing conflict. Various nations have reported their citizens being lured by offers of lucrative employment, only to be forced into military roles.
Last month, the South African presidency confirmed it was aware of citizens trapped in a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine and was working to repatriate them. An official statement said the men were “lured to join mercenary forces… under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.” It reiterated that South Africans are prohibited from serving in foreign militaries without state authorization. The president’s office has declined to provide further commentary while the matter is under investigation.
One of the individuals implicated in the allegations is a sitting member of parliament for a political party founded by a former president. She is currently separately facing trial on charges of incitement to violence related to social media posts during the 2021 civil unrest.