A radio presenter with South Africa's public broadcaster has appeared in court on a charge related to the alleged recruitment of men for the Russian military.
Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula is among five people who prosecutors say are facing charges for contravening a law which prohibits South Africans from joining a foreign army without official permission. They have not yet been asked to plead.
The arrests are the first since the South African government said in November that 17 citizens had seemingly been lured to join mercenary forces in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Police told the BBC that at this stage, they are not linking the two cases.
Mantula, 39, is a presenter of The Morning Bliss, a show on the SABC's SAFM radio station. Neither she nor SABC has commented on her arrest.
Her arrest, along with four others, follows the dramatic resignation from parliament last Friday of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma, who has been accused of duping the 17 South African men - including some of her relatives - into fighting for Russia, an allegation she denies.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that Mantula had been arrested with four men, aged between 21 and 46.
They each face a charge of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
The NPA said the arrests followed a tip-off from police at South Africa's main international airport in Johannesburg.
They were intercepted as they attempted to travel to Russia via the United Arab Emirates, and were removed from the boarding gate after being deemed suspicious, it added.
The NPA said it was further alleged that Mantula had been facilitating the travel and recruitment of her co-accused into the Russian Federation military.
They appeared briefly at the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court near Johannesburg on Monday, and were remanded in custody.
The NPA reiterated its commitment to ensuring accountability for individuals violating the country's laws, emphasizing protection of South Africa's integrity and security.
The accused are due to make their next court appearance on 8 December for a bail application.
The South African government previously reported distress calls from 17 citizens trapped in Ukraine's war-torn Donbas region after joining mercenary forces. They were reportedly lured under the pretext of lucrative contracts.
With an unemployment rate exceeding 30%, especially among the youth, the government condemned the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
In a related development, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's resignation from parliament followed accusations from her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, who alleged she had tricked 17 men, including family members, into mercenary roles in Ukraine.
This case places a spotlight on the increasing concern regarding the recruitment of South Africans into foreign military conflicts amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.
