News24 | 17 South Africans trapped in Ukraine after being ‘lured to join mercenary forces’

The men were allegedly “lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts”, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

Seventeen South African men are trapped in war-torn Donbas in Ukraine, according to the Presidency.

The men, aged between 20 and 39, sent a “distress call for assistance to return home” to the South African government, the Presidency said on Thursday morning.

They are from KwaZulu-Natal, except for one who is from the Eastern Cape.

They were allegedly “lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts”, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

“Under the Foreign Military Assistance Act of 1998, it is illegal for South African citizens and entities to offer or provide military assistance to foreign governments or participate in armies of foreign governments unless authorised by the South African government,” Magwenya added.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into the “circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these seemingly mercenary activities”, said Magwenya.

“The South African government is working through diplomatic channels to secure the return of these young men following their calls for assistance to return home. President Ramaphosa and the South African government strongly condemn the exploitation of young, vulnerable people by individuals working with foreign military entities,” he said.

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