IN CONVERSATION WITH TEBOGO MASHILOPANE (FOSA’s national leader)
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The Forum for South Africa (FOSA) has expressed outrage over reports that
17 South African men, including 16 from KwaZulu-Natal, are trapped in the
war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine and are pleading for help to return
home.
According to FOSA, the men — aged between 20 and 39 — are stranded in a
volatile conflict zone with limited access to food, safety, and medical care.
The organisation says despite repeated appeals for help, there has been no
concrete response from the Department of International Relations and
Cooperation (DIRCO) or the Presidency.
“This situation exposes the deep failures of the South African government,”
FOSA said in a statement. “It is because of massive unemployment and the
lack of opportunities that many of our young people are forced to leave the
country in search of work — even in unsafe and unstable regions.
Government has failed to create jobs and restore hope among the youth.”
FOSA has also questioned the effectiveness of South Africa’s intelligence
09:15
and border control systems, asking how citizens were able to travel to a
known war zone without the government’s awareness or intervention. “This
reflects a total collapse in state oversight,” the organisation said.
The forum is calling for immediate government intervention to secure the
safe return of the stranded men and provide full support to their families. It
has also urged a national investigation into how the men ended up in
Ukraine — whether through recruitment scams, trafficking, or illegal
operations.
“This tragedy is a direct result of government failure,” said Tebogo
Mashilompane, FOSA’s national leader. “The youth are leaving because there
are no jobs or hope at home. Now they are trapped in a war, and
government acts as if it didn’t know.”
FOSA insists that South Africans deserve protection, employment
opportunities, and dignity — not abandonment by the state.
17 South African men, including 16 from KwaZulu-Natal, are trapped in the
war-torn Donbas region of Ukraine and are pleading for help to return
home.
According to FOSA, the men — aged between 20 and 39 — are stranded in a
volatile conflict zone with limited access to food, safety, and medical care.
The organisation says despite repeated appeals for help, there has been no
concrete response from the Department of International Relations and
Cooperation (DIRCO) or the Presidency.
“This situation exposes the deep failures of the South African government,”
FOSA said in a statement. “It is because of massive unemployment and the
lack of opportunities that many of our young people are forced to leave the
country in search of work — even in unsafe and unstable regions.
Government has failed to create jobs and restore hope among the youth.”
FOSA has also questioned the effectiveness of South Africa’s intelligence
09:15
and border control systems, asking how citizens were able to travel to a
known war zone without the government’s awareness or intervention. “This
reflects a total collapse in state oversight,” the organisation said.
The forum is calling for immediate government intervention to secure the
safe return of the stranded men and provide full support to their families. It
has also urged a national investigation into how the men ended up in
Ukraine — whether through recruitment scams, trafficking, or illegal
operations.
“This tragedy is a direct result of government failure,” said Tebogo
Mashilompane, FOSA’s national leader. “The youth are leaving because there
are no jobs or hope at home. Now they are trapped in a war, and
government acts as if it didn’t know.”
FOSA insists that South Africans deserve protection, employment
opportunities, and dignity — not abandonment by the state.
