Johannesburg, South Africa - Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma and a current Member of Parliament, is facing allegations she orchestrated the recruitment of 17 South African men to fight with Russian mercenary forces in the Ukraine conflict. The accusation was made by her sister, Nkosazana Zuma-mncube, in a formal police complaint.
According to Zuma-Mncube’s statement, the men were deceived into believing they were being hired as security personnel for the Mkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party, Jacob Zuma’s recently formed political organization. South African authorities confirmed earlier this month they had received distress calls from the 17 citizens after they joined mercenary groups, lured by promises of high-paying contracts.The recruitment comes amid South Africa’s high unemployment rate, exceeding 30%, particularly affecting young adults.
the allegations against Zuma-Sambudla, 43, surfaced following a report by Bloomberg, wich also indicated recruitment efforts extended to citizens of neighboring Botswana. She has not yet responded to requests for comment from the BBC.
This progress adds to Zuma-Sambudla’s existing legal challenges. She is currently on trial facing terrorism-related charges stemming from social media posts made during the July 2021 unrest in South Africa, sparked by her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court related to a corruption inquiry. The unrest resulted in at least 300 deaths and widespread looting and arson. Zuma-Sambudla maintains the charges are politically motivated.
Jacob zuma served as South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018. Following his jailing and subsequent release, he founded the MK party, which achieved third place in the nation’s elections last year. the BBC has reached out to both the MK party and the Jacob Zuma Foundation for comment.
