Military experts are urging Pretoria to establish how South Africans allegedly ended up fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian website has identified dozens of alleged South African recruits allegedly fighting for Russia. Picture: iStock
South African military experts are urging the government to investigate who was behind recruiting under false pretences citizens to fight for Russia.
More than 60 South Africans have been recruited to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war and at least 10 have been killed, according to a Ukrainian website.
The website, I Want to Live, has published the names of the 69 South Africans .
Questions raised over identities of recruits
According to the website, at least 10 of them have been killed on the battlefield.
However, scrutiny of the list indicates that some may not be South African and that at least one of those killed was from Zimbabwe.
The website focused on a meeting last month between Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha, chief of the South African Army, and Russian deputy commander-in-chief of land forces Colonel General Alexander Matovnikov.
“The Russian defence ministry said the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation of their land forces and discussed joint projects to enhance combat readiness.
“Russia thanked South Africa’s political and military leadership for what it called their firm position on Russia and a shared vision of the so-called multipolar world.”
Experts call for investigation
Defence analyst Dean Wingrin said: “SA has signed military cooperation agreements with many countries, including Russia, China, Iran, the US, India and France. These cover high-level diplomatic visits, staff college exchanges, specialised military training, peacekeeping coordination and technological exchange, but each agreement varies.
“The agreements allow militaries to learn from each other. South Africa has sent military students to Russia and other countries for pilot and navigator training, air traffic control, army and naval mustering, as well as various engineering disciplines. Other countries have sent students for training in SA.”
But he said SA follows a non-aligned foreign policy and the military cooperation agreements do not include any mutual military defence alliances.
SA does not provide military assistance to any country, except under the auspices of the United Nations, African Union or Southern African Development Community.
“It is vital to SA’s foreign policy and international trade that it be seen to follow the stated policy of non-alignment.”
He added that the military visit to Moscow comes “at a time when one of SA’s largest trading partners, the US, is looking for any excuse to put greater restrictions on trade with SA due to the country’s relationship with Iran”.
African recruits allegedly targeted by recruiters
Wingrin said several foreign private companies are using incentives and often false advertising, to entice citizens of African countries to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
They go to Russia thinking they are going to work or study in safe areas, yet find themselves on the front line, he said.
Chris Hattingh, DA spokesperson on defence, said: “We are increasingly seeing a worrying disconnect between the foreign policy articulated by the president and the department of international relations and cooperation, and the defence diplomacy being pursued by elements within the SA National Defence Force.”
Military affairs expert Helmoed-Römer Heitman said Mbatha’s visit signalled “support for the invasion, when SA claims to be neutral”.
“It will worsen our relations with the US and Europe, which is stupid. They are the trade partners with whom we have a positive balance of trade, unlike China, and Russia is economically and strategically irrelevant to us.”
