In a significant political event, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, has resigned from her position in parliament. Her resignation comes at the same time as a major police investigation. She is accused of playing a key role in recruiting South African men to fight for the Russian army in the war in Ukraine. The scandal, which has affected the family of the influential political leader, claims that seventeen citizens were sent to Russia under false conditions. They are now reportedly trapped on the front lines in Ukraine.
South Africa’s serious crime unit, known as the Hawks, confirmed it has opened a formal investigation. This could lead to serious charges, including human trafficking and supporting a foreign military. The allegations were started by an unexpected person: Zuma-Sambudla’s own sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube. In an official police statement from late November, she claimed that the recruited men were systematically lied to about the purpose of their travel.
According to the official complaint, the men were convinced to travel to Russia. They were told they were joining a paramilitary training program that would allow them to work as bodyguards for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which is led by their father, Jacob Zuma. Importantly, the recruits were allegedly told to sign contracts written only in Russian, a language none of them understood. Disturbing video messages from some of the men now in Ukraine suggest that Zuma-Sambudla gave them personal guarantees. She even claimed she would also undergo a year of training in Russia with them.
In her defence, Zuma-Sambudla has said that she was also a victim of an elaborate trick. She argues that she was misled into believing she was organizing a legitimate, non-combat training course. She stated that she personally went to Russia for a month, where she took part in what she believed was controlled training, completely separate from the war zone. In response, she has filed her own criminal charges against another person involved in the case, Blessing Khoza, claiming he was the main organizer of the plan.
The political consequences have been immediate. Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation from parliament was announced shortly after the police investigation became public. However, a senior official from the MK party was quick to explain the situation, stating that the resignation was not an admission of guilt. This appears to be an effort to limit the damage to both the party and the Zuma family's political reputation.
The most urgent concern is the safety of the seventeen South Africans, who include eight relatives of the whistleblower. They are in an extremely dangerous situation, allegedly forced into a conflict they never agreed to join. Their difficult circumstances now require careful diplomatic action from the South African government to bring them home safely. As the investigation continues, the scandal reveals deep family divisions and the dangerous, far-reaching effects of international wars involving citizens from other countries.