Families of four South African men who were safely returned home after being caught up in the Ukraine conflict have expressed deep gratitude to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Russia government for facilitating their release.
The men landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, reuniting with relieved relatives after weeks of uncertainty and fear.
They form part of a group of 17 South Africans who were allegedly recruited under the promise of lucrative overseas employment opportunities. Families say the men were told they would receive training as bodyguards, only to find themselves thrust into the Russia-Ukraine war once abroad.
A family member, speaking anonymously, described the ordeal as emotionally draining, saying parents had been misled about the nature of the work.
“It’s been a very difficult journey for the families because they were told the men would be trained as bodyguards, but when they arrived, they were taken into active fighting,” the relative said. “We are just grateful we could stay in contact and that both presidents worked together to bring them home.”
Diplomatic engagements between Cyril Ramaphosa and Vladimir Putin are believed to have played a key role in securing the group’s safe return.
For the families, the homecoming marked the end of a harrowing chapter one they say felt far longer than the miles between Johannesburg and the conflict zone.