A group of South Africans caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war appears to be linked to the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party, according to media reports,
As the Daily Friend reported, a group of 17 South Africans has appealed to the South African government to assist in their evacuation from Donbas, where they had been working as mercenaries. It was not clear for which side they were fighting.
A report on News24 indicates that they were fighting for Russia, having been dispatched to Russia by the MKP to be trained as bodyguards.
This information is set out in a letter dated 19 September, and bearing the signature of MKP president Jacob Zuma. Addressed to Andrey Belousov, the Russian Minister of Defence, it asks that the men be removed from the combat zone.
It sketches some background, stating that they had gone to Russia to “learn from the world’s finest, so that they may one day return to Africa as capable leaders and steadfast champions of our common cause”.
The letter said that the men were “misled” by a recruiter and told they would be given officer training. They were instead given a truncated basic infantry course and sent into combat. It continued: “These young men, filled with idealism but possessing no prior military experience, were apparently given only three weeks of training.”
It stated that this was developing into a problem for both the MKP and Russia, since “Western media actors” were trying to turn this into a scandal. “We are currently suppressing this information, but our ability to do so is limited, and time is critically short.” The letter reiterated MKP’s support for Russia.
The letter refers to 18 South Africans, rather than the 17 referred to in the earlier, official statement. News24 indicated that a source had said there had been more than 20 people dispatched in the initial group. It is unclear what these discrepancies mean.