It May Be Difficult To Prove 17 Men Trapped in Donbas Were Lured: Expert
- A legal expert has commented on the case of the South African men who are trapped in Donbas in Ukraine
- A total of 17 men alleged that they were lured to Donbas under the pretext of receiving training to work as bodyguards
- However, legal analyst Ulrich Roux noted that the men would face an uphill battle to prove that they did not know what they were signing up for
Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, contributed coverage of international and local social issues, including health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa, during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG — A legal expert commented that the 17 South African men who are trapped in Donbas in Ukraine will have to prove that they were lured under false pretences. He said that it would be difficult.
Ulrix Roux, a legal expert from Ulrich Roux and Associates, spoke on Newzroom Africa. He weighed in on the case, which involved the South African men who accused former president Jacob Zuma's daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla of selling them to fight for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Legal expert weighs in on Duduzile case
Roux said that one of the difficulties he foresees in Zuma-Sambudla's sister opening a case against Duduzile is that they will have to prove that the men were not aware that they would be sent to the frontlines to fight the Russia-Ukraine war.
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What happened to the 17 South African men?
The Presidency said on 6 November that the group of men sent a distress call to the South African government for assistance. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that they were promised lucrative employment contracts. He said that the government was working to secure their return to the country.
The men were allegedly revealed to be members of the official opposition, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, who were sent to fight on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war. The men said they were informed that they would be trained to be bodyguards. However, they were thrust into the front lines.
Source: Getty Images
Party president Jacob Zuma's daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, was accused of recruiting the men to fight in the war. She was accused of recruiting South Africans and Botswana nationals. Some of the men alleged that they were made to sign contracts in Russian. News24 also reported that Zuma wrote to Russia's Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on 19 September. He pleaded with him to help return the men.
Hawks investigate Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African Police Service confirmed that the Hawks are investigating Zuma-Sambudla. This was after her eldest sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, opened a case against her.
Zuma-Mncube alleged that Zuma-Sambudla trafficked some of their family members to Ukraine to fight for Russia. She said that they were in contact with them, and the entire ordeal is taking aq toll on the family.
Source: Briefly News
