By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: FC Pelser.
SAfm presenter Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula and 4 others accused of recruiting for the Russian military have been granted bail in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
They’re facing charges for contravening a law which prohibits South Africans from joining a foreign army without official permission.
Mantula, 39, is a presenter of The Morning Bliss, a show on the SABC’s SAFM radio station.
Her bail was set at R30,000, while the other accused were each granted bail of R5,000, with conditions.
The State did not oppose their release on bail.
However, during the proceedings, prosecutors objected to Mantula’s request for the return of her passport. Her lawyer argued that she needed to travel to Venezuela the following day and required her seized laptop for work. But prosecutor Pieter Erasmus told the court that Mantula was believed to be the “main suspect” behind the recruitment network and had travelled to Russia several times in September.
He argued that returning her passport would make monitoring her movements extremely difficult.
Erasmus also noted that Mantula’s laptop was seized under the Cybercrimes Act and that investigators had not yet begun analysing the device, making its return impossible at this stage.
As part of her bail conditions, Mantula may not leave South Africa, may not be within 500 metres of any port of entry or exit, and must keep the investigating officer informed of her movements.
Mantula was arrested on 27 November upon her return from an international trip. Her three co-accused had been arrested earlier at the OR Tambo International airport after authorities received a tip-off that they were en route to Russia via the UAE. They were intercepted and handed over to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State unit.
The case has been postponed to 10 February 2026 for further investigation.
Her arrest, along with four others, follows the dramatic resignation from parliament of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of 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.