The bail application of five Zimbabwean nationals accused of attempting to travel from South Africa to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war has been postponed until 17 November after the state prosecutor failed to appear in court on Tuesday.
The five appeared briefly in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court, where their matter was expected to proceed after an earlier postponement to allow them to secure legal representation. However, the prosecutor's absence meant the bail proceedings could not proceed, delaying the next stage of the case by another week.
The five remain in custody while awaiting their next court appearance. The accused face charges of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act 15 of 1998, which regulates military assistance provided to foreign states and certain forms of involvement in foreign military activities.
Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Abraham Magaboke said the accused were allegedly planning to use South Africa as a transit country before travelling to participate in the conflict. The prosecution has not publicly disclosed the details of the alleged travel arrangements or identified the individuals who might have facilitated them.
The five Zimbabweans were part of a group of nine who were arrested during an intelligence-driven operation on 8 November. They were arrested at OR Tambo International Airport and the four at a hotel in Bruma, Johannesburg. The arrests involved the Hawks, SAPS Crime Intelligence, Interpol and other law enforcement agencies.
While the five accused appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, the remaining four are being dealt with separately in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court. Their matter is scheduled to return on Thursday, 12 November, after an earlier postponement to allow them to obtain legal representation.
The separate proceedings mean that the nine accused will not necessarily have their cases heard or decided on the same day, even though they face charges arising from the same investigation.
The four accused appearing in Johannesburg are expected to return to court on Thursday.