Kate Bartlett
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Yudizeli Sambudla Zuma resigned from the Mkonto Osiswe party Friday amid allegations from her own half-sister she had trafficked South Africans to Russia.
Sambudla Zuma denies the charges, saying she too was duped by a recruiter.
She claims she thought the men were being sent to Russia to train as bodyguards and return to work for her political party.
Earlier this month, the men contacted the South African government, saying they were on the front lines in Donbass, Ukraine, and begging to be repatriated.
The government says it's working with the Russians and Ukrainians to get the men back, and a police investigation has been launched.
NPR has seen terrified WhatsApp messages from the men saying they had no idea they were going to be fighting in a war.
Kate Bartlett, NPR News, Johannesburg.
Didizeli Sambudla Zuma resigned from the Mkonto-Wisizwe party Friday amid allegations from her own half-sister she had trafficked South Africans to Russia.
Sambudla Zuma denies the charges, saying she too was duped by a recruiter.
She claims she thought the men were being sent to Russia to train as bodyguards and return to work for her political party.
Earlier this month, the men contacted the South African government, saying they were on the front lines in Donbass, Ukraine, and begging to be repatriated.
The government says it's working with the Russians and Ukrainians to get the men back, and a police investigation has been launched.
NPR has seen terrified WhatsApp messages from the men saying they had no idea they were going to be fighting in a war.
Kate Bartlett, NPR News, Johannesburg.
De Silva, who was speaking on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, said there was no reason to have a war.
He warned against repeating the mistake of what happened between Russia and Ukraine and said, quote, once a shot is fired, it is hard to predict how it will end.
has conducted more than 20 strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific it says were drug boats, killing dozens of people.
has also sent an aircraft carrier strike group, Navy warships and stealth aircraft to the area near Venezuela.