The arrests follow the South African government’s November warning that 17 citizens had reportedly been lured to fight as mercenaries in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Police said the current case is not officially linked to those earlier reports. Mantula, a presenter of the SAFM show The Morning Bliss, was arrested alongside four men aged 21 to 46. Authorities allege she facilitated the travel and recruitment of her co-accused to Russia. The group was intercepted at Johannesburg’s main international airport while attempting to fly to Russia via the UAE and were removed from the boarding gate after being deemed suspicious.
The five appeared briefly at Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on Monday and were remanded in custody. Their next court appearance, for a bail hearing, is scheduled for 8 December. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it is committed to holding those who break South African law accountable and will continue working with law enforcement partners to protect national security.
The arrests come shortly after the dramatic resignation of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, who has been accused of recruiting the 17 South Africans into the conflict—a claim she denies. Her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, filed a police complaint alleging that eight of the men were family members handed to a Russian mercenary group without their knowledge or consent.
South Africa has a high unemployment rate, exceeding 30% and higher among youth, which officials say has made some young people vulnerable to recruitment schemes promising lucrative contracts.