THE body of a Zimbabwean national killed in the Russia-Ukraine war remains stuck in Russia amid confusion over his identity, prolonging his family’s grief and exposing a clandestine recruitment network allegedly funnelling African fighters into the conflict under false nationalities.
The late Mandla Ncube was recently killed in Ukraine’s Donbas region while fighting alongside Russian forces.
Sources said efforts to repatriate his remains have stalled after Russian authorities reportedly indicated that he entered the country using South African identity documents, despite being Zimbabwean by birth.
The discrepancy has complicated official processes, with authorities still trying to determine under which country’s jurisdiction his case falls.
His case has renewed scrutiny of shadowy syndicates accused of recruiting Zimbabweans and other Africans to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The networks allegedly target unemployed youths with promises of lucrative overseas jobs before transporting them to South Africa, mainly through KwaZulu-Natal, where fraudulent identity documents are issued.
Keep Reading
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Ndiraya concerned as goals dry up
- DeMbare’s double boost
- ‘Zifa suspension won’t affect player transfers’
Once equipped with false papers, recruits are flown to Russia and officially recorded as South African nationals.
The identity manipulation makes it extremely difficult to trace them if they are killed or injured, leaving families unable to retrieve bodies, claim benefits or even confirm the true circumstances of death.
Last week, five South African nationals appeared in court for alleged involvement in the recruitment of young people to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war in contravention of that country’s Regulation of
Among those arrested is a 39-year-old freelance journalist with SABC, whom the State previously identified as the alleged mastermind of the recruitment effort.
The State alleged the journalist travelled to Russia at least five times since September 2025, as well as to other countries in the past year, before her arrest in early December.
They were later granted bail.
A recent report, The Business of Despair, by the investigative collective All Eyes On Wagner, a Russian State-funded private military company, documents recruitment networks operating across Africa and Russia.
The investigation lists 1 417 fighters from 35 African countries, who enlisted between 2023 and mid-2025.
According to the report, some joined voluntarily because of the good salaries offered, while others were deceived by false job offers or pressured into signing military contracts.
All Eyes On Wagner identified recruitment networks involving travel agencies in Africa offering “fast-track procedures” to obtain visas within weeks.
Recruiters used social media platforms and messaging services, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok, to promote life in Russia through images of Moscow skyscrapers and luxury cars.
A report by French Institute of International Relations researcher, Thierry Vicroulon, estimated that between 3 000 and 4 000 Africans were among 18 000 to 20 000 foreign fighters in the Russian army.
According to the investigation, victims signed payment agreements, worth between 10 000 euro [around US$13 500] and 15 000 euro [around US$20 300], with a foreign company responsible for visas and travel arrangements.
An AFP investigation published last week revealed the web of deception into which four men with no military background fell — forced to sign contracts with the Russian army and swiftly sent to the frontlines in Ukraine.
Former Zipra commander in Matabeleland North province Patrick Msongelwa Dube said young people were being misled about the realities of combat.
“War is not a movie and it is not a quick way to make money.
“Those recruiting these youths are not telling them about the trauma, the injuries and the permanent scars, both physical and psychological,” Dube said.
“As someone who has seen conflict first-hand, I can say no amount of money is worth dying in a war that is not yours.
“Our young people must not allow desperation to push them into a battlefield they do not fully understand.”
Opposition party Zapu national organising secretary Ndodana Moyo warned citizens to be vigilant about the recruitment schemes.
“We have heard and read disturbing reports about shadowy agents preying on our unsuspecting young people,” Moyo said.
“This must serve as a wake-up call.
“We cannot allow our children to be lured into a foreign war under false promises — the risks are grave and the consequences devastating.”
Opposition activist Alfred Dzirutwe also cautioned Zimbabweans against being enticed by promises of employment in Russia.
“Whenever someone suddenly offers ‘jobs’ in Russia with unbelievable benefits, that should raise immediate red flags,” Dzirutwe said.
“These are often recruitment pipelines into a brutal war.
“The media must shine a light on this crisis and our government cannot afford to remain silent while young Zimbabweans are dying thousands of kilometres from home.”
Bulawayo-based Ibhetshu LikaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo said the government should act decisively.
“The fact that families cannot retrieve bodies or even establish legal identity shows a complete breakdown in protection mechanisms,” he said.
“The government must act decisively not with statements, but with cross-border investigations, victim support and clear public warnings or more families will suffer the same silent trauma.”
Sources familiar with the recruitment process say recruits are offered sign-on fees of around US$10 000, paid in cash or through informal channels to lure them to the scheme.
In addition to the sign-on fees, recruits are allegedly promised monthly salaries of up to US$2 500, combat allowances and even residency benefits in Russia.
In southern Africa, South Africa is reportedly used as the main exit point for recruits.
Investigations reveal that Plumtree has been a key recruitment hub, with some leaving through Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.
To evade scrutiny, recruits are made to sign contracts for civilian jobs such as drivers, mechanics, cleaners or receptionists, a deliberate strategy to conceal their true destination from immigration authorities.
Once in transit, recruits are reportedly booked into hotels for up to two weeks while visas are processed.
During this period, they are isolated, coached on what to say and kept away from family and friends.
Departure times are often kept secret, leaving families unaware their relatives have quietly left the country.
Upon arrival in Moscow, recruits allegedly undergo as little as two weeks of basic military training before being deployed to Ukraine’s frontlines.
Kenyan Foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi announced on Tuesday that he will visit Moscow in March following the deaths of Kenyans who fell victim to the recruitment networks after being promised lucrative jobs before being sent to Ukraine’s frontlines.
Mudavadi said more than 30 Kenyans had been evacuated from Russia over the past two months, adding that unscrupulous recruitment agencies in the east African country were shut down