Young men from Botswana and South Africa who were recruited for what was sold as a “personal development” programme in Russia are now feared to have been coerced into military conscription and sent to the Ukraine frontline Mounting fears are growing in Botswana and South Africa after several young men recruited under the pretext of a “personal development” programme in Russia were reportedly forced into military training and deployed to the frontlines of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Among them are at least two Batswana, whose families are now desperately seeking answers on their whereabouts. The alarm was first raised after distress calls — including SOS messages — were reported by South African media outlets TimesLive and Sowetan.
The young men were allegedly taken to Russia after being approached by Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma. A 39-year-old mother, whose Botswana-born son and nephew were among those taken, said the ordeal began earlier this year when Zuma-Sambudla introduced what she described as a “personal development course” in Russia. The woman, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said she last spoke to her 19-year-old son in August.
“She told us it was a development course. When my son got to Russia, she then told me he was undergoing military training,” she said. “I would never have agreed had I known.
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I want my son back.” The mother later discovered that her son and other recruits had been forced to sign contracts written in Russian. After having them translated, she learned they were conscription papers for the Russian military. Her son, who had never handled a firearm before, reportedly injured his hand after a gun backfired during training.
She said her last contact with him was on August 27. Days later, through other parents, she learned he had supposedly been moved to the frontlines on August 28. “I would not want to believe the woman my son calls aunty Dudu would put his life in danger,” she said.
Two weeks ago, she joined a tense conference call with Zuma-Sambudla, the boy’s father, and other affected parents. According to her account, Zuma-Sambudla tried to shift blame to unnamed individuals. “The children say she was the one who brought Siphokazi and convinced them to sign contracts,” she insisted. She has since reported the matter to the government of Botswana, calling it “a clear case of human trafficking.”
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