S African ex-leader Zuma’s daughter quits parliament amid Russia war claims

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation comes amid an probe into her relation successful luring South Africans to combat for Russia successful warfare connected Ukraine.

A girl of erstwhile South African President Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament amid allegations that she lured 17 men to fight arsenic mercenaries successful Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation connected Friday comes aft constabulary said she was nether probe for her alleged relation successful luring South Africans to Russia. The constabulary announcement came aft a radical of men aged 20 to 39 ended up connected the front lines of the struggle successful Ukraine.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Ukraine says implicit 1,400 Africans recruited to combat for Russia successful war
• list 2 of 4Russia-backed arson onslaught ringleaders handed jailhouse sentences successful UK
• list 3 of 4Moscow-backed tribunal jails 2 Colombians who fought for Ukraine
• list 4 of 4France detains 4 amid enquiry into suspected Russian spy network

Zuma-Sambudla had served arsenic a subordinate of parliament since June 2024 for uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), an absorption enactment created by her begetter successful 2023 pursuing his expulsion from South Africa’s then-governing African National Congress.

“The nationalist officials person accepted comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s determination to resign and enactment her efforts to guarantee that these young South Africans are brought backmost safely to their families,” the MK Party’s nationalist chairperson, Nkosinathi Nhleko, told a quality conference.

MK officials said Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation was voluntary and that her departure from the National Assembly and each different nationalist roles was effectual immediately.

The MK’s Nhleko besides said that the enactment was not progressive successful luring the men to Russia and that Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation was not an admittance of guilt, but added that MK would assistance enactment the families of the men stranded successful Ukraine.

Zuma-Sambudla was contiguous astatine the quality league but did not speak, and has not publically responded to the accusations from her half-sister.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, left, the girl of erstwhile South African President Jacob Zuma, appears successful tribunal connected charges of coercion successful Durban, South Africa, connected November 11, 2025 [EPA]

South Africa’s authorities said earlier this period that 17 of its citizens were stuck successful Ukraine’s Donbas portion aft being tricked into warring for mercenary forces nether the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.

Then, past weekend, constabulary said they would analyse Zuma-Sambudla aft her half-sister made a ceremonial petition for the probe into her and 2 different people.

According to police, an affidavit submitted by Zuma-Sambudla’s half-sister, Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, alleged that Zuma-Sambudla and 2 different radical tricked the South Africans into warring by promising to supply them with information grooming successful Russia. The identities of the different 2 radical were unclear.

The affidavit alleges the South Africans were handed implicit to a Russian mercenary radical and forced to combat successful the conflict. It besides says that 8 of the 17 men were members of Zuma-Sambudla’s and Zuma-Mncube’s extended family.

South African statesmanlike spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told Al Jazeera that the authorities had received “distress calls” from the radical caught up successful the Ukraine war, and authorities were “working ever truthful quietly” astatine each levels “to unafraid their harmless return”.

“But also, determination is an probe that is ongoing, that’s looking astatine however they were recruited, who was involved, and what were they promised?” Magwenya said.

On Thursday, Jordan became the latest state to rebuke Russia for recruiting its citizens to fight, pursuing the sidesplitting of 2 Jordanian nationals.

While Jordan did not specifically notation Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would “take each disposable measures” to extremity the further recruitment of Jordanians, and called for Moscow to terminate the contracts of its presently enlisted citizens.

Ukraine says Moscow has recruited astatine slightest 18,000 overseas fighters from 128 countries, according to figures shared by Ukrainian Brigadier General Dmytro Usov, who besides said that astir 3,400 foreigners person died warring for Russia.

Michael Appel, reporting for Al Jazeera from Johannesburg, said Zuma-Sambudla is seen arsenic a divisive governmental fig successful South Africa, and is already facing “serious charges” related to unrest successful South Africa successful 2021 that led to the deaths of hundreds of people.

She has denied immoderate wrongdoing successful that lawsuit and has pleaded not blameworthy to inciting unit done societal media posts.