South Africans arrested over alleged military work for Russia

Antony Sguazzin, Bloomberg News on Nov 29, 2025

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South African police have arrested four men en route to Russia on suspicion they would contravene the country’s laws against assisting foreign military forces.

The men were arrested at the OR Tambo airport near Johannesburg on Friday and will appear in court on Dec. 1, the Hawks, an elite police unit, said in a statement on Saturday. Their travel and recruitment was allegedly facilitated by a South African female, the Hawks said, without identifying her.

The arrests come a week after Bloomberg reported that a group of about 20 young men from South Africa and Botswana had been tricked into fighting for Russia against Ukraine after being approached by Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma-Sambudla didn’t answer a call to her phone on Saturday.

Their families said they had been told they would train as bodyguards to work for Jacob Zuma’s political party but had been forced to sign contracts with the Russian military on arrival. Zuma-Sambudla resigned as a member of South Africa’s parliament for the party, uMkhonto weSizwe, on Friday amid growing media reports about the stranded men.

“The individuals were intercepted and removed from the boarding gate after being flagged as suspicious” while preparing to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates before an onward journey to Russia, the Hawks said. They were then “referred to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State division,” the police unit said.

The South African Broadcasting Corp. said one of those arrested is a prominent media personality, without identifying them. Working as a mercenary or fighting on behalf of another government, or assisting their military, has been a crime in South Africa since 1998.

The Hawks said two other people are being sought.

“Coordination with intelligence structures and international counterparts is ongoing to determine the full extent of the network and any further potential security threats,” the Hawks said.