SAfm presenter Nonkululeko Mantula and four others have appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court after they were arrested over the weekend in relation to an ongoing Hawks investigation into how several South Africans were facilitated into involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The five faces charges of contravening the Foreign Military Assistance Act. The other four accused have been identified as Thulani Mazibuko,  Xolani Ntuli, Siphamandla Tshabalala and Sfiso Mabena.

The Hawks say they received a tip-off from the OR Tambo SAPS regarding men en route to Russia via the United Arab Emirates.

They were removed from the boarding gate as suspicious and referred to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State (CATS) section.

It is alleged that Mantula had been facilitating the travel and recruitment of these individuals into the Russian Federation Military.

Earlier reports indicated the government had received distress calls from 17 individuals who were trapped in the war-torn Donbas region in Ukraine.

The five arrests come amid allegations that Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla,  also allegedly recruited individuals for military training in Russia, which led to them fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war against their will.

The Hawks previously confirmed they are probing the allegations. Zuma-Sambudla subsequently resigned from Parliament as an MP. She has denied the allegations.

The Hawks say coordination with intelligence and international law enforcement agencies is ongoing to determine the full extent of the network and any further security threats.

Meanwhile, a Russian ‘fact-checking’ body, the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), says it is closely monitoring the detention of Mantula, describing her as “a journalist who actively counters disinformation and makes significant contributions to youth education and media literacy on a large scale.”

Mantula is also the co-chair of the BRICS Journalists Association.

“GFCN reiterates its grave concern over Dr. Mantula’s detention and demands strict adherence to international legal norms regarding members of the press. Freedom of speech and the protection of journalists are universal values that must be upheld, regardless of the political climate.”

GFCN has been described by some international media as a pro-Kremlin propaganda machine.

The case has been postponed to Monday, 8 December, for a formal bail application and the five accused were remanded in custody.