By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana has warned Zimbabweans against joining the Russia-Ukraine war, saying recruitment agencies could be exploiting them for financial gain, even profiting from their deaths.
In a post on X, Mangwana said agencies recruiting Zimbabweans for the conflict were not necessarily interested in their survival, as they could retain salaries and contractual benefits owed to recruits who die on the battlefield.
Under the headline, “THEY WANT YOU DEAD SO THEY KEEP EVERY PENNY,” he warned that promises of lucrative salaries and signing-on bonuses could be misleading.
“Joining foreign wars like the one between Russia and Ukraine is not as lucrative as the agencies (i.e. human traffickers) may make it sound. These agencies are not eager for you to come out alive, because they profit from your death,” he wrote.
Mangwana said survivors could also struggle to recover promised payments, while families of those killed could face difficulties claiming outstanding benefits.
His warning comes after nine Zimbabweans were arrested in South Africa on November 8, 2026, over allegations that they were being recruited to join the Russia-Ukraine war.
Five of the suspects were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, while the remaining four were apprehended at a hotel in Bruma.
The five arrested at OR Tambo were identified as Weight Mudhanyane, 23, Javangwe Munyaradzi, 41, Wesley Sothole, 24, Abel Muchenje, 40, and Knowledge Ndunduma, 46.
The other four, Bobo Chinhondo, 43, Batsirai Shereni, 24, Liberty Shereni, 44, and Niobe Zhou, 37, were arrested at the Bruma hotel.
The nine appeared before two separate magistrates’ courts in Gauteng on Monday, November 9, facing charges under South Africa’s Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act 15 of 1998.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the arrests followed an intelligence-driven investigation and that the suspects allegedly intended to leave South Africa to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The five accused who appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court had their matter postponed to November 10 to allow them to secure legal representation.
The other four, who appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court, are expected back in court on November 12 for the same purpose.
All nine remained in custody at the time of the court appearances. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The arrests come against the backdrop of growing revelations about Zimbabweans allegedly lured into the conflict through promises of well-paying civilian jobs.
On March 25, 2026, Information Minister Zhemu Soda confirmed that 15 Zimbabweans had died after being recruited to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The government also disclosed that 66 other Zimbabweans were still alive, with authorities working to facilitate their return home.
Reports have suggested that some recruits were initially promised civilian employment opportunities, including security-related jobs, but allegedly found themselves deployed to the battlefield after arriving in Russia.
The situation has raised concerns about the vulnerability of jobseekers to cross-border human trafficking networks operating under the guise of legitimate employment opportunities.
As investigations continue in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the latest arrests have once again brought into focus the dangers facing Zimbabweans seeking employment opportunities abroad.