The political scene in South Africa has been shaken by the sudden resignation of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla from her role as a member of parliament. This follows serious claims that she helped seventeen South African men travel to Russia to fight in the war in Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla, who is the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma and a member of the opposition uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, resigned as a police investigation began and as families demanded the safe return of their relatives.
According to the MK Party, Zuma-Sambudla chose to leave her position so she could focus on bringing the men home from the conflict zone in Eastern Ukraine. The party's national chairperson, Nkosinathi Nhleko, stated that her resignation was not an admission of guilt and that the party had not forced her to leave. The MK Party has denied any official involvement in the recruitment plan, saying it was an individual's actions, not a party operation.
The scandal became public when Zuma-Sambudla's half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, made a criminal complaint. She accused three people, including her sister, of organizing a plan to send the men to Russia under false pretenses. The police report states that the men were tricked. They believed they were going for security training connected to the MK Party, but instead, they were forced to become soldiers for money when they arrived. Eight of the seventeen men are reported to be members of the wider Zuma family, which has increased tensions within the famous political household.
In her official statement to the police, Zuma-Sambudla said she was also a victim of the scheme. She claims she was misled by another person involved, Blessing Khoza, and that she truly believed the training program was real. She says she even spent a month in Russia herself doing non-military activities. She expressed shock at the accusations and strongly denied any intentional wrongdoing.
Disturbing stories from the trapped men have appeared in South African media. One man, using the false name Sipho for protection, described living in constant fear on the battlefield. His brother, who is trying to organize a rescue from South Africa, said Zuma-Sambudla's resignation was just an attempt to protect her father's political party from damage to its reputation.
South Africa's serious crime unit, The Hawks, has confirmed it is investigating the case for possible human trafficking, illegal foreign military assistance, and fraud. As the investigation continues, the families of the men stuck in Ukraine are waiting anxiously for their safe return.