A prominent member of South Africa’s political opposition has stepped down from her parliamentary position following explosive allegations that she was involved in recruiting citizens to fight in the war in Ukraine.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a lawmaker and daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, submitted her resignation amid a police investigation. The probe centers on claims that she helped recruit at least 17 South African men, promising them paramilitary training in Russia, only for them to end up on the front lines of the Ukraine conflict.
According to a statement from her party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), Zuma-Sambudla volunteered to resign to cooperate fully with authorities and to assist in efforts to repatriate the men. Party officials stressed that her resignation was not an admission of guilt and that the party itself was not involved in the alleged scheme.
The case came to light after a police report was filed by another of Zuma’s daughters, who accused Zuma-Sambudla and two other individuals of orchestrating the recruitment. In a subsequent affidavit, Zuma-Sambudla claimed she was herself a victim of deception, having believed the men were being enrolled in a legitimate security training program. She stated she participated in non-combat training in Russia for a month and would never knowingly endanger anyone.
South African media outlets have published videos reportedly sent by some of the stranded men. In these videos, they allege they were persuaded to sign contracts in Russian, a language they did not understand, with promises of a year of training alongside Zuma-Sambudla.
The South African government has confirmed it is investigating how the citizens became trapped in eastern Ukraine and is working to secure their return. A presidential office statement said the men were “lured to join mercenary forces” under false pretenses of employment, a violation of laws requiring government authorization for such foreign military involvement.
Zuma-Sambudla is a known public supporter of Russia and its leadership, having frequently expressed her views on social media. Her resignation adds another layer to the complex political legacy of her father, Jacob Zuma, who founded the MK party after his 2018 departure from the presidency amid corruption allegations.
The former president, who attended the press conference announcing his daughter’s resignation, did not comment. Zuma-Sambudla is also currently on trial on unrelated charges of inciting violence during the 2021 civil unrest that followed her father’s imprisonment.
The incident underscores the international reach of the Ukraine war and raises serious questions about the exploitation of South African citizens in foreign conflicts.