One of the South African men trapped in Ukraine's war-torn Donbas region after being allegedly recruited to fight for Russia has recounted the horrors they have been subjected to, saying things you see in the movies, we're seeing it live. In desperate voice notes to his family, the 40-year-old says he is part of a group of South Africans tricked into fighting in the war, and is desperate to return home.
The BBC is withholding his identity for his safety, and has called him Sipho and his brother - who is in South Africa, trying to help secure his return - Xolani. He's living in fear because he doesn't know what the future holds or what will happen to him when night approaches because they are always in a war zone, says Xolani.
The BBC has heard voice notes Sipho sent to his family, in which he says he was recruited by two people - one of them being Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of Jacob Zuma, the former president who now leads the country's main opposition party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).
They [the alleged recruiters] even bought us flight tickets to get here [Russia], Sipho says in one of the voice notes. Zuma-Sambudla has denied intentionally misleading anyone and says she is profoundly shocked, adding that she herself is a victim of deception and manipulation.
Xolani says that his brother left South Africa on July 8, believing he was going for training as a bodyguard for MK. The party did not respond to a BBC request for comment, but is due to hold a press conference on Friday to address what it calls the Russia-Ukraine matter.
Formed in 2023, MK is named after the now-defunct military wing of the governing African National Congress (ANC) during the apartheid era. Jacob Zuma was a long-standing member of the ANC before breaking away to form MK.
The sister of another South African trapped in Donbas has told the BBC that her brother was recruited for counter-intelligence and bodyguard training for MK, an offer he accepted because he was unemployed. He did not expect to find himself in a battlefield under Russian command.
They are treated as slaves, told what to do, and if they don't co-operate they are threatened, she tells the BBC.
Xolani adds that when the group - including his brother - arrived in Russia, they were given contracts to sign but unfortunately they were written in Russian, which they did not understand. After some confusion, they appealed to Zuma-Sambudla and her associate for help.
The group was taken to Ukraine in early August, where they were then separated, and Sipho ended up in Donetsk, just 10 kilometers from the front line. In a video recording from a WhatsApp group, the men expressed distress about their situation, revealing that what they were told would be safe turned into something dangerous.
Evidence has emerged suggesting Zuma-Sambudla, who has filed an affidavit with police, does not deny recruiting people to go to Russia but claims to have believed it was for lawful training. The South African police's elite unit, the Hawks, are investigating the circumstances, including possible human trafficking, illegal recruitment, or fraud involved with the case.
As families back home await news, Sipho continues to plea for help, saying, It's tough here... we all [just] want to come home. His family's distress grows as they struggle to secure his safe return from the war zone.
The BBC is withholding his identity for his safety, and has called him Sipho and his brother - who is in South Africa, trying to help secure his return - Xolani. He's living in fear because he doesn't know what the future holds or what will happen to him when night approaches because they are always in a war zone, says Xolani.
The BBC has heard voice notes Sipho sent to his family, in which he says he was recruited by two people - one of them being Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of Jacob Zuma, the former president who now leads the country's main opposition party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).
They [the alleged recruiters] even bought us flight tickets to get here [Russia], Sipho says in one of the voice notes. Zuma-Sambudla has denied intentionally misleading anyone and says she is profoundly shocked, adding that she herself is a victim of deception and manipulation.
Xolani says that his brother left South Africa on July 8, believing he was going for training as a bodyguard for MK. The party did not respond to a BBC request for comment, but is due to hold a press conference on Friday to address what it calls the Russia-Ukraine matter.
Formed in 2023, MK is named after the now-defunct military wing of the governing African National Congress (ANC) during the apartheid era. Jacob Zuma was a long-standing member of the ANC before breaking away to form MK.
The sister of another South African trapped in Donbas has told the BBC that her brother was recruited for counter-intelligence and bodyguard training for MK, an offer he accepted because he was unemployed. He did not expect to find himself in a battlefield under Russian command.
They are treated as slaves, told what to do, and if they don't co-operate they are threatened, she tells the BBC.
Xolani adds that when the group - including his brother - arrived in Russia, they were given contracts to sign but unfortunately they were written in Russian, which they did not understand. After some confusion, they appealed to Zuma-Sambudla and her associate for help.
The group was taken to Ukraine in early August, where they were then separated, and Sipho ended up in Donetsk, just 10 kilometers from the front line. In a video recording from a WhatsApp group, the men expressed distress about their situation, revealing that what they were told would be safe turned into something dangerous.
Evidence has emerged suggesting Zuma-Sambudla, who has filed an affidavit with police, does not deny recruiting people to go to Russia but claims to have believed it was for lawful training. The South African police's elite unit, the Hawks, are investigating the circumstances, including possible human trafficking, illegal recruitment, or fraud involved with the case.
As families back home await news, Sipho continues to plea for help, saying, It's tough here... we all [just] want to come home. His family's distress grows as they struggle to secure his safe return from the war zone.
