CAPE TOWN – Two South African men who answered a call to serve as paramedics in Ukraine now find themselves embroiled in a legal and international crisis, accused of desertion after allegedly being misled into military training. Jhovan Mynhardt, 32, from Cape Town, and Tyrone Slabbert, 32, from Johannesburg, are currently in custody in the war-torn country, leaving their families desperate for answers and assistance.
The men's ordeal began with what they believed was a legitimate offer to receive training as operational paramedics for the Ukrainian armed forces. Emma Mynhardt, Jhovan’s wife, recounted how her husband was approached unexpectedly by the recruiter’s wife in Cape Town with a proposition to work in Ukraine. They were specifically seeking South African recruits. Prior to travelling, Mynhardt had been employed by a security company, while Slabbert worked as a security officer on cruise ships. According to their families, both men were excited by the opportunity to expand their skills and contribute to the humanitarian effort.
Sylvia van Wyk, the partner of Slabbert’s father, stated that there had never been any indication that the men would be handling weapons or involved in any combat. “They seized the opportunity for medical training on a six-month contract with good pay. Both had to cover their travel costs to Poland and later their train tickets to Lviv, Ukraine.”
Mynhardt and Slabbert, connected through online gaming, quickly made the decision. Mynhardt resigned from his job, while Slabbert, who was between contracts, sought a new challenge. Mynhardt has a two-year-old daughter and his wife is caring for a second child, aged 13.
However, upon their arrival in Ukraine a few weeks ago, their hopes quickly turned to suspicion when they were instructed to report for military training instead. It soon became clear that they had been misled about the true nature of their roles. Unfortunately, by this stage, both had already signed the contracts.
Distressed, they informed their South African recruiter that they wished to withdraw. The recruiter, himself part of Ukraine’s special forces unit made up of foreign nationals, offered little assistance. Soon after, the men were ordered into a vehicle and driven for hours to a field base.
Last Monday, as they were en route on a bus to Lviv to catch a train to Poland, they were stopped at a roadblock. Police searched them and subsequently arrested them for allegedly breaching their contract by “deserting”. Both men managed to inform their families of their arrest and shared their location, as well as the contact number of the recruiter. This was the last communication their families received.
Following the arrests, their families approached the South African embassy for help. While the embassy confirmed the arrests, they also informed the families that the men may have violated South Africa’s so-called mercenary legislation, the Prohibition of Mercenary Activities and Regulation of Certain Activities in Country of Armed Conflict Act, by joining a Ukrainian military unit without authorisation.
The recruiter, who is in a senior role within Ukraine’s special forces, maintains that the men were fully aware of their commitments. He further accuses them of desertion by leaving the base without permission and alleges they ignored his repeated calls to convince them to return.
The families vehemently dispute the recruiter’s version of events. Van Wyk commented that Slabbert, after six years of working on ships, had wanted to expand his skills into the medical field to help others. “He would never have willingly joined as a soldier. It’s just not in his nature," she said.
The situation took a turn for the worse when the field base was attacked shortly after the two South Africans left. There are suspicions that their decision to call a taxi to the secret base may have inadvertently alerted adversaries to its location.
The recruiter, who was questioned for hours due to his role in their recruitment, claimed the men were now “safe”. “The police handed them over to the military for further handling. The recruiter promised one of their commanders would contact us, but we haven’t heard anything yet,” said Mynhardt.
Emma Mynhardt is fraught with worry. “I’ve cried my heart out this week out of worry. My in-laws are helping, and we’ve hired a private investigator to assist us. We have no idea if we should arrange for legal representation or what their fate might be. He said there’s nothing more he can do and implied he’s in trouble himself. He claims no harm will come to them, but surely we would’ve heard from them by now," she said.
Attempts by the families to get answers from the Ukrainian embassy in Pretoria have been unsuccessful, and the embassy has not responded to City Press’ sister publication Rapport’s enquiries either. The department of international relations and cooperation has handed the case over to the South African embassy in Ukraine, which referred City Press back to the department.
Meanwhile, the medical and fire support unit that Mynhardt and Slabbert joined, called Med Team Alpha, operates under Ukraine’s International Legion of Defence. This unit primarily focuses on operations in the Zaporizhzhia district, a contested region featuring Europe’s largest nuclear power station, which is now under Russian control. Med Team Alpha conducts medical evacuations but is also equipped to provide rocket fire and other weapon support. The unit relies on global donations to fund its activities and recruits both medically qualified individuals and ex-soldiers.
Follow Us on Twitter
