South African Ministry Issues Caution on Russian Job Offers
The Ministry for Women in South Africa’s presidency has issued a stern warning to citizens regarding social media advertisements for job opportunities in Russia.
This alert follows a report from Bloomberg News, which revealed that various Russian companies—one of which faces allegations of deceiving young women into employment at a military drone production facility—are actively targeting South Africa for labor recruitment.
“These purported job openings presented on social media lack any governmental endorsement,” stated the Ministry in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities. “We implore our youth to exercise caution.”
Alabuga Start, a recruitment division of Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, has been intensifying efforts initiated in 2023 to recruit women aged 18 to 22 from Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to address domestic labor shortages.
Several research studies, including those by the Institute for Science and International Security, suggest that these young women often find themselves employed in a drone factory that is frequently targeted by Ukrainian bombings.
The ministry has announced intentions to “engage stakeholders,” which includes discussions with the Russian Embassy in South Africa and local entities involved in recruitment for Alabuga concerning this initiative.
In response, the Russian embassy in South Africa acknowledged the rising concerns surrounding the Alabuga Start program, particularly those highlighted by the Bloomberg article.
“The embassy has no verified information, other than that distributed through certain biased sources, regarding allegations of forced labor or any violations of rights experienced by foreign nationals participating in the program,” read the statement shared on the platform X, directing users to their official website.
On Sunday, Clayson Monyela, the head of public diplomacy at South Africa’s Foreign Ministry, warned against adopting “unverified foreign job offers” in a post on X, without directly referencing Russia or Alabuga.
His ministry previously acknowledged awareness of the Alabuga program and asserted that it is “actively investigating claims regarding foreign programs that recruit South Africans under false pretenses.”
Monyela further elaborated in a Monday morning interview on 702 Talk Radio that his ministry had successfully facilitated the return of one South African woman who contacted the embassy in Moscow after discerning that the promised conditions were not as they appeared.
“We are extremely concerned,” he expressed. “Influencers appear to be promoting these opportunities which seem very enticing on the surface.”
Source link: Thestar.com.my.
