One of the daughters of former South African president Jacob Zuma has stepped down as an MP, after being alleged of deceiving seventeen citizens into fighting for Russia in Ukraine by convincing them they were travelling to Russia to prepare as bodyguards for the Zumas’ uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
Stepping Down Statement
The 43-year-old Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, prominently involved in political activities of her siblings, offered to step down and step back from public roles while working with a law enforcement inquiry and working to bring the men home, the party chairman, Nkosinathi Nhleko, stated at a media briefing in Durban.
Magasela Mzobe, told reporters: “As far as we know, the departure has got no connection to admission of guilt or the party holding her accountable,” adding that the political group had not been involved with the individuals who found themselves stranded on the frontline of the war in Ukraine.
Legal Allegations
On 22 November, another of Zuma’s daughters, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, submitted a legal complaint claiming that her sibling Zuma-Sambudla and two others, Xuma and Khoza, had enlisted the men, comprising several relatives. She did not suggest a motive for her sister’s alleged recruiting in the declaration she made to police.
The accused then filed an affidavit of her own, claiming she was “a victim of trickery, misrepresentation and exploitation” by Khoza after the men were brought in for what she had understood was a authorized paramilitary training course.
Time in Russia
She stated she traveled to the country herself for a month of the instruction, in excerpts from her statement to police: “I experienced only non-military, supervised exercises. I did not encounter warfare, not assigned to active duty.”
She maintained that she had “shared information innocently” with individuals, who then volunteered to go to Russia themselves. She continued: “I would not, intentionally expose my own relatives or any other person to danger.”
Media Reports
A local news source the media organization said it had obtained recordings from several individuals stranded in Ukraine, in which they claimed Zuma-Sambudla convinced them to agree to terms in the local language that they did not comprehend and said she would spend a year in Russia preparing alongside them.
Background Information
Zuma, MK party’s president, was at the media event but did not speak. He has been married six times and currently has multiple spouses and more than 20 children. Multiple marriages is accepted in South Africa via a regulation governing “traditional” marriages.
Zuma was removed as South Africa’s president in 2018, after being accused of overseeing a era of huge corruption known as “government control”, allegations he has consistently refuted. He founded MK party in late 2023, winning a significant portion of the vote in the 2024 national elections.
Investigation Status
Earlier this week, law enforcement verified they were investigating, after obtaining both statements. The former MP did not return calls and communications requesting comment. The other accused could not be reached for comment.
Earlier last month the office of South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced it was investigating how the men became stranded in eastern Ukraine and was working to bring them home, after receiving “urgent appeals for assistance”.
Recruitment Details
The men “were enticed to join private military groups participating in the ongoing conflict under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts”, it said, stating that South Africans were not permitted to assist or engage for foreign militaries without government authorisation.
Social Media Posts
Zuma-Sambudla has consistently shared her support for Russia and its president, the Russian president, on social media. “Our support is vocal and unwavering … I celebrate this” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a photo of her parent and Putin celebrating, on 22 February 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Months later, she posted: “I Stand With Russia,” alongside photos of the Hermitage Museum in the Russian city, although it was not evident if she had taken the photos herself or when they were taken.
International Ties
South Africa’s African National Congress party, which forced Zuma to stand down as president in 2018, has historically been close to Russia after the Soviet Union supported its fight against apartheid. South Africa’s government, whose international relations is still controlled by the ANC although it is now in a coalition, has refrained from condemning Russia for entering Ukraine. It has tried to portray the nation as a impartial mediator in the pursuit for a peace deal.
Court Case
Zuma-Sambudla is on trial on charges of provoking unrest in posts on X, during deadly riots that erupted in 2021 when her father was sent to jail for contempt of court. She has refuted the claims.
