Embassy Denies South Africans Were Fighting for Ukraine as 17 Men Plead for Rescue

Seventeen young South Africans are trapped in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine war, desperate to come home, but it’s unclear which side they were fighting for.

Seventeen South African men, most from KwaZulu-Natal, are stranded in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region and have reportedly reached out to the South African government for help. Their plea has sparked a diplomatic stir between Pretoria, Kyiv, and Moscow, as questions swirl over how they ended up there and who sent them.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Pretoria has flatly denied that the men were fighting for its army. Meanwhile, Russia’s embassy has refused to comment at all.

Kyiv distances itself from the stranded South Africans

Olexander Scherba, Ukraine’s newly appointed ambassador to South Africa, said his government has no record or knowledge of the group. “It seems they’ve been fighting on the side of the aggressor Russia,” Scherba told local media.

He condemned what he called the exploitation of Africans lured into “a colonial war,” warning South Africans not to be deceived by promises of money or adventure. “No money in the world is worth it,” he said.

Scherba’s warning comes as reports across Africa reveal a growing trend of young men being recruited or misled into joining the war on Russia’s side.

Pretoria investigates recruitment of SA fighters

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into how these 17 men were recruited.

According to Magwenya, the group’s ages range from 20 to 39, with sixteen from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape. “The South African government is working through diplomatic channels to secure their safe return,” he said.

Magwenya also reminded citizens that it’s illegal under South African law to fight in a foreign conflict without official authorisation. The Foreign Military Assistance Act of 1998 prohibits any South African from joining foreign armies or mercenary groups a law that has its roots in the country’s own complex history with private military contractors.

“The President condemns the exploitation of vulnerable young South Africans by individuals working with foreign military entities,” Magwenya said.

Echoes of African recruitment across the continent

The situation in Ukraine mirrors reports from Kenya, where local newspapers have carried heart-wrenching stories of families searching for missing sons who allegedly joined Russian forces.

The Standard in Nairobi recently ran the front-page headline “Help! We Are Dying”, featuring photos of Kenyan men believed to have been recruited into Russia’s war effort. One image showed a Kenyan family holding a picture of their missing son, a former soldier who vanished months ago, reportedly now somewhere near the Russian front lines.

Scherba pointed to such reports as a cautionary tale for African nations. “This war has nothing to do with Africa’s liberation or development,” he said. “It’s a reminder that foreign powers continue to manipulate our youth for their own battles.”

Public reaction: sympathy, anger, and disbelief

South Africans on social media have reacted with a mix of empathy and outrage. Some users have expressed concern for the men’s safety, while others questioned why they went in the first place.

“Imagine fighting in someone else’s war when there are so many battles to fight at home,” one X user commented. Others called for their safe return but urged the government to hold recruiters accountable.

The controversy has also reignited discussions about unemployment and desperation among young South Africans, factors that make some vulnerable to risky overseas “job offers” that turn out to be military contracts.

A dangerous crossroads

As diplomatic efforts continue, the fate of the 17 stranded South Africans remains uncertain. While Kyiv has distanced itself from them and Moscow remains silent, Pretoria faces the difficult task of both bringing them home and investigating how they ended up in a foreign war zone.

What is clear, however, is that South Africa, long a champion of neutrality in global conflicts, now finds itself uncomfortably entangled in one of the most dangerous wars of the 21st century.

Seventeen South African men are trapped in Ukraine’s Donbas region amid confusion over their allegiance. Kyiv denies any involvement, Moscow stays quiet, and Pretoria scrambles to bring them home. As the story unfolds, it exposes deeper issues, from the exploitation of African youth to South Africa’s precarious position in global politics.

{Source: The Citizen}

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