Southern African mothers plead for sons lured to Russia’s war
HARARE (Zimbabwe), Aug 20 — Instead of celebrating her son’s birthday this month, Zimbabwean moth...
HARARE, Aug 20 — Zimbabwean mother Rodwin Chitewere is desperately praying for her son Tanaka Muzirikazi to return home from Russia, where he is believed to have been killed in the country's war against Ukraine. She and other mothers in Botswana and South Africa find themselves hoping against hope for their sons and husbands to come back from a conflict they claim they were tricked into joining.
Chitewere's son left for Russia in April with a cousin from a remote village in eastern Zimbabwe, where he had been living with his grandmother. His mother learned about his death only when a relative spotted a change in his WhatsApp status. Muzirikazi's mother seeks government assistance to bring her son's body back so she can give him a proper burial.
Zimbabwe's foreign ministry referred the family's request for repatriation to its embassy in Russia. In the past month, Zimbabwe reported 15 nationals killed in "foreign battlefields," with more than 60 others still trapped on the front lines.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
