South African authorities have launched an investigation into allegations that a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma helped recruit 17 men who were later sent to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine, after allegedly being misled into believing they were travelling for a paramilitary training course.
The inquiry was triggered by a police complaint filed by Zuma’s daughter, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, who accused her sister Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and two associates, Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza, of orchestrating the recruitment. The men, aged between 20 and 39, are reportedly trapped on the frontline in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
According to the statement shared with local media, Zuma-Mncube said the men “were lured to Russia under false pretences and handed to a Russian mercenary group to fight in the Ukraine war without their knowledge or consent”. She added that eight of the recruits were members of her own family and that she lodged the complaint out of “moral obligation”.
A spokesperson for the South African Police Service confirmed receipt of the complaint, which includes allegations of people trafficking, assisting a foreign military, and fraud. The elite Hawks serious crime unit is now handling the case.
“The investigation is still at an early stage,” said Hawks spokesperson Thandi Mbambo. “The docket was received only on Sunday, so there is nothing further to report except that the investigation is under way.”
Conflicting Affidavits
Local media report that Zuma-Sambudla has filed her own charges against Khoza, claiming she was misled into participating in what she believed was a legitimate training programme. Mbambo confirmed the Hawks had received a complaint from Zuma-Sambudla but declined to discuss its contents.
Zuma-Sambudla did not respond to requests for comment. Khoza and Xuma could not be reached.
News24 published videos purportedly recorded by three of the stranded South African men, who alleged they were persuaded to sign contracts written in Russian, a language they did not understand and were told that Zuma-Sambudla would train alongside them for a year in Russia.
Political Implications
Zuma-Sambudla, 43, is a member of parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, formed by her father after breaking away from the African National Congress. The party won 14.6% of the vote in the 2024 national elections.
She is already facing separate charges of inciting violence during the 2021 unrest that erupted when her father was jailed for contempt of court allegations she denies.
Her social media presence has long signalled support for Russia and President Vladimir Putin. On the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, she posted a photo of Putin and Jacob Zuma toasting each other, writing: “We love you both loudly and unapologetically.”
Foreign Fighters and Russian Recruitment
The allegations come amid growing evidence that Russia has recruited and in some cases coerced foreign nationals into combat roles, often by advertising lucrative civilian jobs online. Reports have linked recruitment networks to African countries as well as India, Nepal, Syria, and Cuba.
In September, Ukraine released a video of a captured Kenyan fighter who said he had been deceived into fighting for Russia. Meanwhile, thousands of North Korean soldiers have reportedly been deployed to support Russian forces, with hundreds believed to have died.
Ukraine has also enlisted foreign volunteers, recently signing up around 2,000 contract soldiers from Colombia.
Pretoria Seeks Answers
On 6 November, the office of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed it was investigating how the 17 men ended up in Ukraine and was working to repatriate them after receiving “distress calls for assistance”.
The presidency said the men “were lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts”, adding that South Africans are prohibited from joining foreign armed forces without government approval.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya declined further comment.
The case threatens to widen divisions within the Zuma family and raises uncomfortable questions for a government that has long maintained a position of “non-alignment” while resisting international pressure to condemn Russia’s invasion.
