Daughter of Former President Steps Back Amid Police Probe
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the 43-year-old daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has voluntarily resigned from her position as a Member of Parliament. Her party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), announced her decision to step back from public roles while she cooperates with a police investigation and works to repatriate South African men allegedly trapped fighting in Ukraine.
Allegations of Deceptive Recruitment to Russian Forces
The controversy erupted when Zuma-Sambudla was accused of recruiting 17 South African men under false pretences. According to the allegations, the men were told they were travelling to Russia for paramilitary training to become bodyguards for the MK party. Instead, they reportedly found themselves on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
The situation came to light after another of Jacob Zuma's daughters, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, filed a police report on 22 November. She named her sister, Zuma-Sambudla, along with two others—Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza—as being involved in the recruitment. The report stated that eight of the recruited men were family members.
Conflicting Accounts and a Web of Claims
In response, Zuma-Sambudla filed her own affidavit with police, presenting a dramatically different version of events. She claimed to be "a victim of deception, misrepresentation and manipulation" by her co-accused, Blessing Khoza. She stated she believed the men were being recruited for a legitimate paramilitary training course and had even travelled to Russia herself for a month of this training.
"I experienced only non-combat, controlled activities. I was never exposed to combat, never deployed," she said in excerpts from her police statement published by local media. She asserted that she had "shared information innocently" and would never knowingly put anyone in harm's way.
However, these claims are contested. South African news outlet News24 obtained videos from three of the men in Ukraine. In these videos, the men alleged that Zuma-Sambudla persuaded them to sign contracts written in Russian, which they could not understand. They also claimed she promised to spend a year in Russia training alongside them.
MK officials were quick to frame the resignation as a procedural move, not an admission of guilt. Nkosinathi Nhleko, the MK chair, announced the resignation at a press conference in Durban. Another official, Magasela Mzobe, told reporters, "As far as we know, the resignation has got nothing to do with admission of guilt or the organisation finding her guilty." He added that the MK party itself had no involvement with the group of men.
Brotherly Support and a Complex Political Backdrop
Jacob Zuma, the 83-year-old founder and president of the MK party, was present at the press conference but did not address the media. His daughter has been a vocal and visible supporter of Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. On social media platform X, she has posted messages such as "I Stand With Russia" and, on the very day Russia invaded Ukraine, shared a photo of her father and Putin toasting with the caption, "We Love You Both LOUDLY And UNAPOLOGETICALLY So."
This personal alignment reflects a broader political stance. The African National Congress (ANC), which ousted Zuma from the presidency in 2018 over corruption allegations he denies, has long-standing ties with Russia dating back to the Soviet Union's support for the anti-apartheid struggle. South Africa's current government, still led by the ANC albeit in a coalition, has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion and has positioned itself as a neutral peace broker.
This is not Zuma-Sambudla's first encounter with legal trouble. She is currently on trial for charges of inciting violence through social media posts made during the deadly 2021 riots that erupted when her father was imprisoned for contempt of court. She has denied those allegations.
South African police confirmed on Tuesday that an investigation is underway, having received affidavits from both Zuma-Sambudla and her sister. The presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa had already acknowledged the issue on 6 November, stating it was investigating how the men became trapped in eastern Ukraine after receiving "distress calls for assistance." His office confirmed the men "were lured to join mercenary forces" with the promise of lucrative jobs, emphasising that it is illegal for South Africans to fight for foreign militaries without state authorisation. Efforts to bring the men home are ongoing.
