Family bonds might become strained for former South African President Jacob Zuma after his eldest daughter accused her half-sibling of misleading 17 males – much of whom are supposedly kin – into battling for Russia in Ukraine.
The dispute showcases the expanding enlisting of Africans into Russian military units due to a scarcity of Russian enlistees as well as the close affiliations between Moscow and former African National Congress members. Zuma previously belonged to the political group, which began as an anti-apartheid movement that struggled for democratic governance in South Africa.
Zuma, 83, stepped down as president in 2018 following a string of corruption scandals and was dismissed from the party he once headed in 2024. He acquired military instruction in the Soviet Union during apartheid, an established system of racial separation that kept Black people and White people apart.
Who is Zuma-Sambudla, and what are the allegations against her?
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43, is one of almost two dozen offspring of the former South African leader. She has been a staunch backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has voiced admiration for him on online platforms.
Last week, Zuma-Sambudla resigned from her post in parliament, where she represented the uMkhonto weSizwe Party — headed by her father — subsequent to a criminal claim lodged against her by her elder half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube.
This complaint emerged after the South African administration commenced examining how 17 nationals became ensnared in the war-ravaged Donbas area of Ukraine. The administration was alerted to the men’s predicament after they sent out pleas for assistance requesting to return home.
Officials disclosed last month that the men were “tricked into joining mercenary personnel engaged in the Ukraine-Russia conflict under the guise of profitable employment agreements.”
Zuma-Mncube asserted that the actions of Zuma-Sambudla and two other persons contributed to the men’s situation. Zuma-Sambudla has not publicly responded to the assertions.
Under South African statutes, it is unlawful to serve in a foreign military without governmental sanction.
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-biggest political organization, has also initiated criminal proceedings against Zuma-Sambudla following discussions with the families of the trapped men.
Zuma-Sambudla currently confronts distinct charges of promoting terrorism and public unrest, according to prosecutors, for allegedly inciting violence on social media during disturbances that resulted in over 300 fatalities following her father’s incarceration for contempt of court charges in 2021. Zuma was freed in 2023. Zuma-Sambudla has denied the accusations.
Lawmaker Chris Hattingh, a Democratic Alliance representative concerning defense and military veterans, shared his discoveries with the national broadcaster SABC.
“I have been in communication with relatives, and everyone conveys precisely the identical account,” he remarked, clarifying that the men “were completely misled” and “enticed to Russia for personal advancement” under the pretense of “security instruction.”
Upon their arrival in Russia, Hattingh proceeded, “Their attire and passports were reportedly incinerated, their cellphones were gradually confiscated, and then finally, there is no further contact with them.”
In her defense, Zuma-Sambudla maintained that she did not intend to enlist South Africans to function as hired fighters in the Russia-Ukraine confrontation.
In an official statement submitted to the police and cited by the local newspaper, Daily News, she indicated that she had been deceived by an individual named “Khoza,” who reached out to her on WhatsApp, claiming to be a South African resident living in Russia with links to a “genuine paramilitary instruction program” that did not involve fighting.
Zuma-Sambudla disclosed that she enlisted and took part in the paramilitary instruction in Russia for one month and was not exposed to any combat circumstances, according to the newspaper. She then suggested 22 other people, including her relatives, to sign up for the program. Of the 22 individuals who initially traveled, 17 South Africans are presently reportedly situated in north Donetsk as part of Russian forces.
“Judging by my personal experience, I assumed that the program was permissible and secure. However, I, too, was manipulated and utilized to create a fabricated perception of legality,” she was quoted as saying.
Zuma-Sambudla apparently assured that she would completely assist authorities.
The South African police announced that they are probing whether “any illegal activity, including potential human smuggling, illicit enlisting, victimizing, or deceit, may have contributed to the movement of these individuals to the conflict zone.”
CNN has sought statements from Russia’s military and foreign affairs ministry. In November, however, foreign ministry representative Maria Zakharova stated at a press briefing that Russia possessed no knowledge of the South African nationals and had not yet received any communication from the South African administration concerning the issue.
“Should there be such a request from Pretoria, we will be prepared to examine it in adherence with the current protocol in the spirit of the strategic partnership existing between Russia and South Africa,” she commented.
Russian officials have previously refuted pressuring foreigners to join its military.
A recruitment deception or a shadowy action by the Kremlin?
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, over 1,400 citizens from 36 African nations are fighting for Russia in Ukraine. “The majority of them are immediately dispatched to the so-called ‘human wave attacks’ where they are rapidly eliminated,” he stated last month.
Current data concerning Russia’s personnel losses is scarce, but Western intelligence organizations estimate that the Kremlin has sustained over 1 million casualties, including more than 250,000 fatalities, since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The United Kingdom’s defense department estimates that approximately 1,000 Russian soldiers are killed or wounded daily.
Five defendants appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court for allegedly violating the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act by planning to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 1. Oupa Nkosi/Reuters
Recent occurrences in South Africa are similar to disputes in Kenya, where authorities are endeavoring to secure the release of over 200 of its citizens involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Kenya’s foreign ministry has indicated that enlisting networks continue to be active in the East African nation. Last week, The Star, a domestic newspaper, reported that a Kenyan man was killed while combating for Russia in Ukraine, only one month subsequent to arriving for a driving position.
Experts posit that the enlisting of African hired fighters to reinforce Russia’s military operations in Ukraine involves not only the Kremlin but also recruiters on social platforms who frequently mislead prospective applicants about the nature of the work. Those who disclose the job’s actual character advertise appealing incentives, including fast visas, earnings up to $2,500 monthly, and free medical care.
Paul Mudau, a senior tutor in Public, Constitutional, and International jurisprudence at the University of South Africa, clarified, “Scammers manage the initial temptation, often via advertisements on Telegram or Facebook for ‘positions’ in Russia.”
However, he informed CNN, “Once recruits arrive, Russian officials detain them, compel them to sign Russian-language agreements, and deploy them with minimal preparation.”
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