A South African court has remanded a state radio presenter and four men in custody after they were arrested on suspicion of attempting to join Russia’s war against Ukraine. The group, charged with violating South Africa’s strict laws against assisting foreign military forces, will return to the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on 8 December for a bail hearing.
Among the accused is Nonkululeko Mantula, a presenter at SAfm, one of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s flagship radio stations. The arrests have placed new attention on the growing number of South Africans allegedly targeted by recruitment schemes linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Suspects Arrested En Route to Join Russian Forces
According to court proceedings and statements from the Hawks, at least four of the suspects were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport last Friday. Authorities believe some were preparing to travel to Russia as part of an illegal recruitment pipeline that funnels foreign nationals into the conflict.
The Hawks said the travel arrangements were facilitated by a South African woman who has not yet been publicly identified. Investigators are now working with international agencies to determine the scale of the network and whether more recruits were being prepared for deployment.
The five accused — men aged between 21 and 47, along with Mantula — face charges under laws that have outlawed mercenary activity in South Africa since 1998.
State Not Opposing Bail, but Questions Linger
During Monday’s appearance in Kempton Park, prosecutors indicated they would not oppose bail during the next hearing. The suspects remained calm in the dock, with the courtroom reflecting the increasing seriousness of cases linked to the Ukraine conflict.
While the arrests are significant, authorities stressed that there is, at this stage, no direct link between this group and the separate allegations involving Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma. Zuma-Sambudla is currently under Hawks investigation for allegedly recruiting around 20 young men from South Africa and Botswana to fight for Russia.
She has not responded to calls from reporters, and her legal position remains unclear.
Growing Concerns Over Recruitment of Southern Africans
The case comes just days after international reports suggested that young men from Southern Africa were being approached with promises of lucrative opportunities in Russia, only to find themselves drawn into active combat. Some have claimed they were misled about the nature of their contracts, echoing similar stories from recruits across the continent.
The Hawks confirmed that intelligence agencies are now cooperating across borders to map out how these recruitments are organised and who benefits from them.
South Africa’s Anti-Mercenary Laws Under the Spotlight
Since 1998, South African law has criminalised armed assistance to foreign governments, reflecting the country’s desire to prevent its citizens from becoming entangled in foreign conflicts. The arrests at OR Tambo appear to be one of the clearest enforcement actions taken under this legislation in recent years.
As the investigation deepens, more details are expected to emerge about how ordinary South Africans are drawn into a distant geopolitical conflict — and what drives individuals, including a public broadcaster employee, to consider joining a war thousands of kilometres away.
The December bail hearing will likely provide further clarity on the state’s case and open a broader national conversation about recruitment, vulnerability, and the unseen networks pulling people into global conflicts
