Zimbabweans duped into Russia’s war front, families beg government for help

Harare, Zimbabwe – Elvis Sitshela is still reeling from the sudden disappearance of his brother, Dumisani, who left for Russia in early 2026 without warning. Dumisani slipped out of the family home, and then a shocking message arrived from an international number.

“Hello brother, I’m in Russia now. It’s me, Dumisani,” Elvis recalled, requesting his real name be withheld for security reasons.

“He’d been unemployed for a long time. He tried his luck in South Africa but failed; he came home late last year. In January, he vanished,” Elvis said.

Weeks later, the family received even worse news: a neighbour who had travelled with Dumisani was killed in Ukraine, where Russia has been waging an all-out war for four years.

“I appeal to the governments of Zimbabwe and Russia to cooperate and bring our brothers home,” he added, urging officials in Harare and Moscow to act before it is too late.

Human trafficking charges

In late March, four men appeared in Harare Magistrates Court on human trafficking charges. They are alleged to have been moving Zimbabweans to Russia, where victims were forced to take part in Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The accused – Obert Hlavati, Tonderai Maphosa, Tanaka Malcon Gwarada and Edson Dudzayi Nyamudeza – were not required to plead during the hearing before Magistrate Jessi Kufa. The indictment states that all four conspired with a Russian national named Ivan to transport six Zimbabweans to Russia.

In a separate incident days earlier, security staff at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport stopped two brothers trying to board a flight to Russia. They claimed to be attending an open day at a Moscow university, but authorities grew suspicious and prevented them from leaving.

While these cases are disparate, the wider problem persists: Zimbabweans continue to die in Russia’s war.

State intervention

Elvis’s appeal to both governments comes as Zimbabwean officials confirm a growing number of citizens being killed while serving with Russian forces. Government spokesman Nick Mangwana said Harare is working to repatriate the bodies of four Zimbabweans killed in Ukraine.

“Zimbabweans were trafficked as foreign mercenaries. 18 have died abroad, but the government has only repatriated four; the rest are hampered by documentation problems,” Mangwana wrote on X.

Information Minister Zhemu Soda blamed fraudulent recruitment agencies that promised high salaries and stable jobs to lure jobless people into war zones. “Our citizens are being preyed upon by unscrupulous networks that operate with total disregard for human life,” Soda said at a press conference on March 25 in Harare. He warned that traffickers use social media to target young people.

Former Senator Tshepiso Helen Mpofu urged caution about online job ads. “Our youth must verify opportunities before applying, especially overseas, and not fall for schemes that promise quick riches or stability,” Mpofu said. She called on the government to focus on genuine economic development and job creation, and to engage with Russia to stop its citizens being exploited in military service.

Enforced enlistment

Veteran journalist Ezra Sibanda, who has investigated the recruitment networks and published a report in early March, explained: “When they arrive in Russia, the recruits are met by people in military uniform. They are loaded onto buses to military barracks, and the process quickly turns dangerous.”

“At the barracks, they are processed, fingerprinted, forced to sign military contracts. Their passports and phones are confiscated, and they undergo brief training lasting from 10 days to a month,” Sibanda said.

Through Facebook Live sessions, Sibanda confronted Zimbabweans on the front line and alleged recruiters. His investigation uncovered a sophisticated cross-border network that lured economically vulnerable people with cash bonuses.

“A Zimbabwean known as ‘Tshaka the Zulu’, originally from Matobo and previously living in South Africa, operates from Moscow, alongside a Russian known as ‘Poma’,” Sibanda told Al Jazeera. “These are the ringleaders. Their network, spanning Zimbabwe and South Africa, is highly secretive and decentralised, making it impossible to determine how many have been sent to the front lines.”

Sibanda noted that the network’s activities are feeding into the rising toll of Zimbabweans deployed abroad. Al Jazeera could not reach ‘Tshaka the Zulu’, ‘Poma’ or other recruiters; calls and messages went unanswered.

Lucrative salaries

Sibanda said Zimbabweans, especially those living in South Africa, are enticed by large sums: signing bonuses of up to $37,000, plus monthly salaries of around $4,000. But the job ads are often a deadly trap. Some believe they are joining the military; others mistakenly think they are taking jobs as truck drivers or construction workers, only realising the truth when it is too late.

“Most of the promises are not honoured. In some cases, around $2,000 was sent to families via South Africa, but after that, many received nothing more,” Sibanda added.

Seeing the urgency, Sibanda began contacting the Zimbabwean government directly. The motivation came from the soldiers themselves, he said. Many Zimbabweans stationed on the front line reached out to him with desperate requests: ask the government to intervene and help them return home. “I have engaged with the Zimbabwean government and am satisfied with their positive response,” Sibanda said.

“They have shown concern and are now collecting a list of Zimbabweans who may have been recruited into mercenary operations linked to the Russian military. I will provide that information to the authorities.” He stressed: “Many of them left without the knowledge or approval of the Zimbabwean government. The situation is complicated because recruitment happens in South Africa, making it hard for the government to monitor or protect its citizens, with no oversight or clear records of the involved organisations.”