{"id":6649,"date":"2026-05-14T12:35:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/zimbabweans-lured-into-russias-war-as-families-plead-for-their-return\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:35:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:35:26","slug":"zimbabweans-lured-into-russias-war-as-families-plead-for-their-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/zimbabweans-lured-into-russias-war-as-families-plead-for-their-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Zimbabweans lured into Russia\u2019s war as families plead for their return"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p data-start=\"180\" data-end=\"417\"><strong>Harare, Zimbabwe \u2013<\/strong> Elvis Sitshela remains deeply unsettled by the sudden departure of his brother, Dumisani, to Russia in early 2026. Dumisani left in complete secrecy, without telling the family, until a shocking text arrived from an international number.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"419\" data-end=\"539\">\u201cHi, brother, I am in Russia now. It\u2019s me, Dumisani,\u201d recalled Elvis, who requested his real name be withheld for safety.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 2 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 2<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/8\/amid-ukraines-daring-assaults-russia-scales-back-victory-day-celebrations\">Amid Ukraine\u2019s daring assaults, Russia scales back Victory Day celebrations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 2<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/8\/russia-ukraine-trade-fire-despite-victory-day-ceasefire\">Russia, Ukraine trade fire, blame despite Victory Day ceasefire<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p data-start=\"419\" data-end=\"539\">\u201cHe was unemployed for a long time and tried to settle in South Africa, but it didn\u2019t work out; he returned home last December. By January, he was gone,\u201d Elvis said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"541\" data-end=\"713\">Weeks later, the family received more troubling news: A neighbour who had travelled with Dumisani was killed in Ukraine, where Russia has been waging a full-scale war for the past four years.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"886\" data-end=\"1071\">\u201cI am appealing to the Zimbabwean and Russian governments to work together to bring our brothers home,\u201d he added, urging officials in Harare and Moscow to act before it is too late.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"trafficking-charges\" data-start=\"149\" data-end=\"461\">Trafficking charges<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"161\" data-end=\"270\">In late March, four people appeared before Harare Magistrates\u2019 Court facing human trafficking charges.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"272\" data-end=\"584\">The group is accused of sending Zimbabweans to Russia, where the victims were allegedly forced to participate in Moscow\u2019s war on Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"272\" data-end=\"584\">The accused \u2013 Obert Hlavati, Tonderai Maphosa, Tanaka Malcon Gwarada, and Edson Dudzayi Nyamudeza \u2013 were not asked to plead during their appearance before Magistrate Jessi Kufa.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"586\" data-end=\"709\">According to the prosecution, the four conspired with a Russian national named Ivan to traffic six Zimbabweans to Russia.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"586\" data-end=\"709\"><span>Separately, a few days ago, security officials at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo international airport intercepted two brothers attempting to board a flight to Russia. Although the pair claimed they were travelling to attend a university open event in Moscow, authorities grew suspicious and prevented them from leaving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1014\" data-end=\"1142\">While these incidents remain isolated, the larger problem persists: Zimbabweans continue dying in Russia\u2019s war.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"state-intervention\" data-start=\"1014\" data-end=\"1142\">State intervention<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"1099\" data-end=\"1214\">Elvis\u2019s plea to the Zimbabwean and Russian governments to bring his brother home comes as Zimbabwean authorities confirm that a growing number of citizens have died while serving with Russian forces.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1216\" data-end=\"1360\">Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said Harare is working to repatriate four citizens killed in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1362\" data-end=\"1540\">\u201cZimbabweans have been trafficked as foreign fighters. Eighteen have died abroad, yet the government can repatriate only four; the others are held up by documentation problems,\u201d Mangwana said on X.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1542\" data-end=\"1778\">Minister of Information Zhemu Soda blamed predatory employment agencies that promise high salaries and secure work to lure desperate job seekers into conflict zones.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p> \t\t\t\tZimbabweans have been trafficked as foreign fighters. Eighteen have died abroad, yet the government can repatriate only four; the others are held up by documentation problems\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p> \t\t\t\t<span>by<\/span>\u00a0Nick Mangwana, government spokesperson of Zimbabwe\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"1780\" data-end=\"2078\">\u201cOur citizens are being preyed upon by unscrupulous networks who operate with complete disregard for human life,\u201d Soda told a news briefing in Harare on March 25. He warned that traffickers use social media to target young people.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2080\" data-end=\"2196\">Former Senator Tshepiso Helen Mpofu urged people to be cautious of job advertisements circulating online.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2198\" data-end=\"2531\">\u201cOur young people must verify opportunities before applying, especially those abroad, and not fall for schemes that promise wealth or stability,\u201d Mpofu said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2198\" data-end=\"2531\">She called on the government to focus on economic empowerment and genuine job creation while engaging Russia to prevent citizens from being exploited in military service.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"forced-enlistment\" data-start=\"149\" data-end=\"461\">Forced enlistment<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2558\" data-end=\"2860\">\u201cUpon arrival in Russia, recruits are reportedly met by men in military uniform. They are placed on buses and taken to army barracks, where the process quickly turns dangerous,\u201d explained veteran journalist Ezra Sibanda, whose investigation into recruitment networks gained traction in early March.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2862\" data-end=\"3084\">\u201cAt the barracks, they are processed, fingerprinted, and pressured into signing military contracts. Their passports and phones are confiscated, and they undergo brief training lasting 10 days to a month,\u201d Sibanda said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3086\" data-end=\"3350\">Through live Facebook broadcasts, Sibanda confronted Zimbabweans on the front lines and their alleged recruiters. His investigation revealed a sophisticated cross-border network that lures recruits with financial incentives, targeting those struggling economically.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3352\" data-end=\"3564\">\u201cA Zimbabwean known as \u2018Tshaka the Zulu,\u2019 originally from the Matobo region and formerly based in South Africa, is operating out of Moscow, alongside a Russian national known as \u2018Poma\u2019,\u201d Sibanda told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3566\" data-end=\"3770\">\u201cThey are the ringleaders. Their networks across Zimbabwe and South Africa are secretive and decentralised, making it nearly impossible to determine how many people have been sent to the front lines.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4556965\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4556965\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/photoy-1-1778295774.jpg?w=500&#038;resize=500%2C600&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Upon arrival in Russia, the recruits are reportedly met by men dressed in military uniform, and transported to army barracks [Al Jazeera]\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4556965\">Upon arrival in Russia, the recruits are reportedly met by men in military uniform and transported to army barracks [Ezra Sibanda\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"3896\" data-end=\"4094\">Sibanda noted that the network\u2019s activities are contributing to the continuing casualties among Zimbabweans deployed abroad.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4238\" data-end=\"4429\">Efforts by Al Jazeera to reach \u201cTshaka the Zulu\u201d, \u201cPoma\u201d, and other alleged recruitment agents in Zimbabwe and South Africa were unsuccessful, with multiple calls and text messages going unanswered.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"enticing-wages\" data-start=\"4238\" data-end=\"4429\">Enticing wages<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"4431\" data-end=\"4644\">Sibanda noted that Zimbabweans, particularly those living in South Africa, are being enticed by life-altering sums, a reported sign-on bonus of up to $37,000, followed by monthly wages of approximately $4,000.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4646\" data-end=\"4891\">However, the job advertisement is often a deadly bait-and-switch. Some believe they are joining the military; others are misled into thinking they will work as truck drivers or in construction, only to discover the truth once it is too late.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4893\" data-end=\"5121\">\u201cMost of the promises made to them are not fulfilled. In some cases, a small amount, around $2,000, is reportedly sent to their families back home via South Africa, but thereafter, many receive nothing further,\u201d Sibanda added.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5123\" data-end=\"5208\">Recognising the urgency, Sibanda began engaging the Zimbabwean government directly.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5210\" data-end=\"5463\">The impetus came from the soldiers themselves, he said. Multiple Zimbabweans stationed on the front lines had reached out to him with a desperate request to see if their government could intervene and help them return home.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5465\" data-end=\"5580\">\u201cI have engaged the government of Zimbabwe on this matter and am happy with their positive response,\u201d said Sibanda.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5582\" data-end=\"5810\">\u201cThey have shown interest to assist, and are currently working on compiling details of Zimbabweans who may have been recruited into these mercenary operations linked to the Russian army, so I will provide them to the authorities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5812\" data-end=\"6203\">\u201cIt is important to note that many of these individuals left to join without the knowledge or approval of Zimbabwean authorities. The situation is further complicated by the fact that recruitment is reportedly taking place in South Africa, making it difficult for the government to monitor or protect its citizens, as there is no clear oversight or record of the agencies involved.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harare, Zimbabwe \u2013 Elvis Sitshela remains deeply unsettled by the sudden departure of his brother, Dumisani, to Russia in early 2026. Dumisani left in complete secrecy, without telling the family, until a shocking text arrived from an international number. \u201cHi, brother, I am in Russia now. It\u2019s me, Dumisani,\u201d recalled Elvis, who requested his real &#8230; <a title=\"Zimbabweans lured into Russia\u2019s war as families plead for their return\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/zimbabweans-lured-into-russias-war-as-families-plead-for-their-return\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Zimbabweans lured into Russia\u2019s war as families plead for their return\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}