The South African government says it is aware that money exchanged hands before the questionable recruitment of 17 South Africans who were lured into the Russian war under false pretences.
This is according to the minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who on Thursday said though these men were on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian government had not not recruited them, but rather a private military outfit known as the Wagner Group.
President Cyril Ramaphosa intervened and asked Russian president Vladimir Putin for help with the release of the 17 men after the Wagner Group refused to do so, citing signed and paid contracts.
Allegations have been rife that former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma, was involved in sending the men to Russia under false pretences. The men were told they would receive specialised training to become bodyguards in the MK Party, only to be sent to the frontlines of the war upon their arrival.
South African investigators are investigating who was involved in arranging for the men to go to Russia, and also following the money that was allegedly paid.
The investigators will have to establish who received the money, for what purpose and what they did with that money
— Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the Presidency
“There are investigations that are ongoing to establish the facts in terms of what has transpired. What we know for sure is that there were payments that were made,” said Ntshavheni.
“So the investigators will have to establish who received the money, for what purpose and what they did with that money.”
Ntshavheni said the investigators were looking into allegations that R14m was paid to someone in South Africa for the procurement of the men.
“The things that must happen is the continuation of the investigation into the allegations including the allegation by a family member that R14m was paid to a certain person by the Wagner Group for their sons to be taken to Russia to go to fight in a war that is not theirs,” she said.
Ntshavheni said after the confusion that surrounded the recruitment of the men, several South African officials started speaking to the Russians to determine how their procurement came about. It was these discussions that revealed that the Russian government had not been involved, and that it was the Wagner Group.
“As South African authorities we could not gain access to those people. Part of the challenge was that these young men were made to sign contracts that bound them to a time period. And for those contracts to be signed, payments were made. So the parties that contracted them declined to release them,” explained Ntshavheni.
At this point Ramaphosa intervened and called Putin, asking for help. “President Ramaphosa went to President Putin to say that we accept that it is not the Russian government that has recruited South Africans, but we need your intervention to get our young people back,” said Ntshavheni.
Ntshaveni said international relations minister Ronald Lamola met with the families of the men in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday as part of consular services protocol.
TimesLIVE
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