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South Africa has launched sensitive diplomatic talks to retrieve citizens allegedly deceived into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Officials claim 17 men were lured abroad last July under false pretenses by Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, although she denies knowingly sending them into combat. Some of the men were told they would be undergoing bodyguard training for a political party linked to the former president. A spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the government is engaged primarily with Russian authorities, stating the men are in “grave danger” after being “bungled” into the military. As desperate families protest, one mother recounts her son’s fearful final call before disappearing, highlighting the urgent human toll behind the diplomatic scramble.
The Guardian