Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. (Photo: Kopano Tlape/GCIS)
At least two South Africans have died fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine, Ronald Lamola, the minister of international relations and cooperation, confirmed on Thursday shortly after 11 South African men returned to South Africa from Russia on Wednesday.
Four men returned home last week, while two remained in Russia to receive medical treatment for “very serious” injuries.
These men were all allegedly tricked into fighting as mercenaries for Russia against Ukraine.
However, Lamola confirmed on Thursday that apart from this group of 17 who requested help from the South African government in November to return to South Africa, no South Africans were tricked into joining mercenary groups.
“There are other South Africans who we have since discovered were part of the process, and… we have since discovered that some have also perished,” Lamola told the SABC on Thursday.
A group of 11 South African men returned to South Africa on Wednesday after they were reportedly lured to fight for Russian forces in Ukraine. (Photo: RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP)
The government was “informed by the Russian embassy” that two men had died. However, the men were “part of another recruitment campaign or another scheme,” Lamola said on Thursday.
The first group of 17 men were allegedly recruited by the uMkhonto weSizwe party (MKP) and sent to Russia for training as security guards.
“The 17 who were recruited through the processes that involved the MKP… are all back, except for those who could not travel due to medical reasons,” Lamola said on Thursday.
The minister did not specify how many South Africans were eventually lured to fight on the front lines in the foreign country.
“Whoever was responsible for recruiting these young people for this ordeal must be held accountable,” the minister did say.
South African law prohibits its citizens from fighting for a foreign country’s army without government authorization.
Ukraine said on Wednesday that more than 1,780 citizens from 36 African countries had been identified in Russia’s ranks, and that some of them had been captured.