Recruitment syndicates must be exposed after welcome return of men from war zone

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government should be commended for the return of four of the17 South African menwho found themselves stranded in Ukraine as part of a private military force fighting on the side of the invading Russia. The four landed back in SA on Thursday and were immediately taken in by the Hawks for questioning before being released. It is a criminal offence in this country to fight a war on behalf of a foreign country without authority from the state.

However, by all accounts, when the 17 men left these shores for Russia, they thought they were either going for jobs or security training, and did not know they would be lured into fighting in one of the deadliest wars of modern times. Many of them seem to have connections with MK party leader and former president Jacob Zuma, his family or the party itself. Past accounts suggested that some of them left believing they were going to be trained as VIP protection bodyguards.

They allegedly implicated Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and two other MKP-linked individuals as people who recruited them. The recruits have told their families of the hardships and horrors they experienced while in a war zone and expressed their desire to return home. Zuma appears to have tried to intervene, writing a letter to the Russian government for assistance in returning them home, but with no success. However, on Thursday, a week after Ramaphosa had held a telephonic interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, four arrived back home.