Hawks launch investigation into recruitment of 17 SA men stuck in Ukraine-Russia conflict
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is one of three individuals accused of recruiting 17 young men to fight in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Image: Tumi Pakkies / Indepedent Media
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) confirmed receipt of an enquiry opened at the Sandton Police Station by Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube relating to the 17 South African men reportedly trapped in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The unit also confirmed second enquiry docket against MK Party MP, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla registered on Sunday, November 23, 2025.
This comes after the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, Zuma-Mncube, opened a criminal case against her sister, Zuma-Sambudla, as well as Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza, in relation to this alleged recruitment.
Zuma-Mncube has accused all three of contravening the law; she claims that the men were lured to Russia under false pretences and were handed to a Russian mercenary group to fight in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said the matter will be taken up with the Director for Public Prosecutions as the investigation kicks off, after the SAPS indicated that an inquiry docket has been registered - charges are yet to be determined.
"Both matters are being investigated jointly to determine whether any criminality, including possible human trafficking, illegal recruitment, exploitation, or fraud, may have contributed to the movement of these individuals to the conflict zone.
"The exact charges will be confirmed upon completion of the investigation and assessment of all evidence," said Mbambo.
Mbambo said the DPCI is working in close collaboration with various government departments and relevant foreign authorities to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach.
"This multi-departmental cooperation ensures that the investigation proceeds within the legal mandates of all structures involved, particularly on matters relating to international relations, identity verification, and foreign law-enforcement engagement.
"The DPCI remains in contact with the complainants and family members as part of the investigative process, and updates will be provided where appropriate without compromising the integrity of the investigation," added Mbambo.
Mbambo said upon finalisation of the investigation and the gathering of all relevant evidence, the docket will be submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision.
"To safeguard the integrity of this investigation, no further details will be disclosed in the public domain at this stage. The DPCI assures the public that this matter is receiving priority attention, and all necessary steps are being taken to establish the facts and ensure accountability where required," added Mbambo.
Some family members of the recruits have criticised the government for failing to repatriate them.
Sandile Ndhlovu, the brother of one of the men, told SABC News that the recruits joined under false pretences as they had been promised VIP protection training, but instead, they found themselves in a raging war.
“We’ve been trying to get hold of senior officials in government, and we actually wanted to get hold of the president. We want the government to assist us with this issue, but so far, we haven’t gotten any help.”
Early this month, the South African government said it was investigating how 17 citizens, mostly young men from KwaZulu-Natal, ended up trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region after being lured with false job promises.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also condemned the recruitment as illegal under the Foreign Military Assistance Act and ordered officials to assist in their safe return.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, on Monday, legal analyst, Ulrich Roux said it may be difficult to prove that the 17 South African men were recruited under false pretences and that they did not know that they were being sent to a war zone.
"One of the difficulties that I do foresee is that they are going to have to prove that these 17 individuals, who are now stuck in limbo, were not aware of what the actual situation was, and that they would be drafted into fighting in this war," he said.
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