South African radio presenter arrested over Russia recruitment plot

A South African radio presenter has appeared in court, facing allegations that she recruited men to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war.

South African police said that Nonkululeko Mantula was arrested alongside four men after a tip-off.

The 39-year-old is accused of recruiting the four men and organising for them to join the Russian army.

Three of the men were detained while trying to board a flight to Russia via the United Arab Emirates, police said.

They added that they believe another person had already traveled to Russia after being recruited by Mantula.

It is illegal in South Africa to fight for another country’s army without permission from the government.

The five suspects arrested in South Africa were ordered to be held in custody until a bail hearing next week.

The arrest of Mantula, a presenter on the state broadcaster’s SAFM radio station, came as police are separately investigating a daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma for allegedly tricking another 17 men into fighting as mercenaries for Russia in Ukraine.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla resigned as a lawmaker for her father’s opposition MK Party last week over the allegations.

She was accused by her half-sister of duping the men into travelling to Russia under the pretence that they would receive security training that would help them secure jobs.

The South African government said this month that it received distress calls from the 17 South Africans, who had been forced to fight for a Russian mercenary group in eastern Ukraine and were now trapped there.

Another South African political party alleged that it had information that the men’s passports and clothes were burned and their cell phones were confiscated when they arrived in Russia.

The South African government launched a separate investigation into how the men came to be on the frontlines of the war and is working with international law enforcement agencies to repatriate them.

Russia has been accused of recruiting men from other countries to fight in the war under the pretext of offering them jobs.

It has also been accused of tricking women from South Africa and other parts of Africa into working in Russian drone factories through social media campaigns promising them jobs in fields like catering and hospitality.

The South African government has warned people to be cautious of campaigns promoted by South African social media influencers promising jobs and study opportunities in Russia.