The family’s fears deepened weeks later after they learned that one of Dumisani’s neighbours, who reportedly travelled with him to Russia, had been killed in Ukraine.
Families of Zimbabwean men reportedly recruited into Russia’s war against Ukraine are pleading with authorities in Harare and Moscow to intervene and bring their loved ones home, amid growing revelations that unemployed youths are being trafficked into deadly combat zones under the guise of lucrative job opportunities.
The unfolding scandal has exposed an alleged cross-border recruitment network operating between Zimbabwe, South Africa and Russia, with authorities confirming that several Zimbabweans have already died while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Al Jazeera reports that one distraught relative, who identified himself only as Elvis Sitshela for security reasons, said his brother, Dumisani, vanished from Zimbabwe earlier this year without informing family members, only to later reveal from Russia that he had joined the war effort.
“Hi, brother, I am in Russia now. It’s me, Dumisani,” Elvis recalled receiving in a shocking text message sent from an international number.
