Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has resigned as a Member of Parliament after being accused of deceiving 17 South African men into travelling to Russia, where they were allegedly forced into combat in Ukraine.
Zuma-Sambudla, 43, stepped down voluntarily, according to uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party chair Nkosinathi Nhleko, who said she had agreed to withdraw from public roles while cooperating with police and assisting efforts to repatriate the stranded men.
“This resignation does not constitute an admission of guilt, nor has the organisation found her guilty of wrongdoing,” MK official Magasela Mzobe told reporters at a press conference in Durban. He stressed that the party had no involvement with the group who later found themselves trapped near the frontlines of the war.
Sister Files Complaint Alleging Recruitment Scheme
The allegations stem from a police complaint filed on 22 November by Zuma-Sambudla’s sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, who accused her sibling and two other individuals — Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza of recruiting 17 men, including eight members of their extended family.
In her statement to police, Zuma-Mncube did not outline a motive but claimed the men were misled into believing they were travelling to Russia for bodyguard training linked to the MK party.
Zuma-Sambudla Claims She Was Deceived
Zuma-Sambudla has denied wrongdoing and, in a sworn affidavit, said she was “a victim of deception, misrepresentation and manipulation” at the hands of Khoza.
According to her statement, she travelled to Russia herself for a month-long training programme that she believed was a legitimate, non-combat paramilitary course.
“I experienced only non-combat, controlled activities. I was never exposed to combat, never deployed,” she said. She insisted she merely “shared information innocently,” and that those who followed did so voluntarily. “I would not, under any circumstances, knowingly expose my family or anyone else to harm.”
Recruits Say They Were Tricked
South African outlet News24 reported that it had received videos from three of the men now trapped in Ukraine. They claim Zuma-Sambudla persuaded them to sign contracts written in Russian which they could not understand and assured them she would spend a year training alongside them.
The men’s passports and personal belongings were reportedly confiscated, leaving them stranded in the conflict zone.
Police Investigating Both Affidavits
Police confirmed that an investigation is under way, following affidavits from both Zuma-Mncube and Zuma-Sambudla. Zuma-Sambudla did not respond to requests for comment, while Khoza and Xuma could not be reached.
The Office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said on 6 November that it was probing how the men became trapped in eastern Ukraine, adding that authorities were working to secure their return 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,” emphasising that South Africans are prohibited from serving in foreign armed forces without government authorisation.
Politics, Russia, and Zuma Family Ties
Zuma-Sambudla, one of Jacob Zuma’s most politically visible children, has been an outspoken supporter of Russia and President Vladimir Putin. On 22 February 2022 — the day Russia invaded Ukraine, she posted a photograph of her father and Putin toasting, writing: “We love you both loudly and unapologetically.”
In May, she posted “I Stand With Russia” on X alongside images of St Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.
Jacob Zuma, now 83, attended the MK press conference but did not speak. The former president has over 20 children from six marriages. He launched the MK party in December 2023; it won 14.6% of the vote in South Africa’s 2024 general election.
South Africa’s ANC-led government maintains close historical ties with Russia and has avoided directly criticising Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, positioning itself as a potential mediator.
Ongoing Legal Troubles
Zuma-Sambudla is currently on trial for allegedly inciting violence through her social media posts during the deadly unrest that erupted in 2021 after her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court. She denies the charges.
