KZN family seeks support for men lured to Ukraine war zone
A KwaZulu-Natal family whose loved one was among a group of South Africans lured into the Russia-Ukraine war zone says while they are relieved he is home, the ordeal is far from over.
Fifteen of a group of 17 men who were lured to the front line of the conflict in Ukraine with promises of security training and jobs recently returned home after being stuck in the war zone for months.
Two others are still in Russia, with one said to be receiving medical treatment.
Nombuyiselo Kinase-Nukansi's nephew was among the first group of four to arrive over a week ago.
Kinase-Nukansi says the men need guidance on how to move forward, including access to psychological support and legal assistance, as authorities have confirmed that participation in foreign military activities without authorisation is illegal under South African law.
" In terms of the psychological [and] emotional support they were in a traumatic place. So we believe that there is some intervention that we wish anyone can have, especially from the government, to assist us.
“Also, anyone who has a background in terms of international law, [and] any law firm can come on board to assist and prepare us as the family, as well as the young men."
She also wants to warn people about the dangers of misleading overseas job offers, saying unemployment and desperation can leave young people vulnerable to exploitation.
"All these young men who went outside the country to Russia, they had a hope. They [had hoped] to get better opportunities out there [and enhance] their skills. [They wanted to] make sure that they [have] a chance of being employable [which] unfortunately turned into a nightmare."
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