By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says investigations are ongoing regarding who received the money paid to lure 17 men transported to Ukraine by mercenaries.
She pleads for patience and space to allow law enforcement to do its work.
Ntshavheni briefed the media on the outcomes from the Cabinet meeting held on 25 February 2026.
In November last year, the South African government received distress calls from 17 South African men who were trapped in the war-torn Donbas, Ukraine. They wanted assistance to return home.
The men, aged 20 to 39, who come from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape, were lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.
Ntshavheni said Minister of International Relations, Ronald Lamola, went to KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday to meet with the families of the returnees.
“As part of our responsibility and consular service, we need to engage with the families. They are the ones who reached out to us to ask for support, to ask for assistance, to return their young men, who they alleged were trafficked to Russia without any money,”
“So, as part of that engagement, as part of that feedback, it’s important that you look back to those who requested your assistance to say, here we are, but there are the following things that have to happen.”
“The following things that must happen are the continuation of the investigations into the allegation, including the allegation made by the family, a family member, that R14 million was paid to a certain person by the Wagner Group for their sons to be taken to Russia to go to fight in a war that is not theirs.”
“And therefore, it’s important that the minister also engage, but there are investigations that are ongoing to establish the facts, as we’ve indicated, in terms of what has happened, what has transpired.”
Ntshavheni said the government knew that payments were made, and that the investigators would have to establish who received the money, for what purpose, and what they did with it. The Cabinet cannot have a view on those, but the investigations are ongoing.”
FMD vaccine production
Cabinet has confidence the rebuilding of local vaccine manufacturing capacity within the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) will help South Africa reclaim its Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)-free status from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The Agricultural Research Council’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility has resumed production of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines for the first time in more than 20 years.
The first batch of locally produced vaccines was officially handed over on Friday, 6 February 2026. The vaccine is registered as a stock remedy under Act 36 of 1947 and meets all required standards for quality, safety, and efficacy standards.
Between 2010 and 2018, the ARC undertook extensive research within its existing facilities aimed at strengthening regional vaccine capacity.
The programme sought to identify new candidate vaccine strains appropriate for use within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, adapt the strains for large-scale in vitro cultivation in bioreactors to improve yields, and assess their ability to elicit protective immunity both immunologically and clinically.
Researchers also evaluated vaccine potency and the duration of immunity to inform appropriate field vaccination schedules.
Ntshavheni said the resumption of local vaccine production marked a critical milestone in efforts to curb the current FMD outbreak affecting more than 14 million livestock in the country.
The outbreak has caused significant losses within the farming sector and threatens the country’s agricultural export standing.
“Cabinet extends its appreciation to the farming community, who have worked tirelessly to complement efforts of the Department of Agriculture to curb the current outbreak of the FMD,” Ntshavheni said.
Crime Stats
Cabinet says the national picture painted by Quarter 3 2025/26 crime statistics indicates progress, while more work still needs to be done.
“[With regards to] murder, the downward trend that began in Q1 of 2023/24 has been sustained, with a recorded 8.7% decrease, representing 602 fewer lives lost compared to same period last year. Over two years, murder for this quarter period has dropped by 17.6%, translating to 1 359 fewer murders,” said Minister.
Ntshavheni said total contact crime – encompassing all categories of violent crime – decreased by 6.7%, representing 12 682 fewer cases reported to SAPS compared to the same quarter last year.
The Minister said Cabinet was very concerned over the notable increase in the murder of police officials in this quarter.
“Twenty-three officers lost their lives, with approximately 80% killed while off duty,” she said.
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service has been tasked to make a full assessment to prevent these deaths.
With regard to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) report on Home Affairs, Ntshavheni said Cabinet commended the SIU for its work that will assist the department close outstanding gaps and ensure all perpetrators are brought to justice.