Zuma’s Daughter Accused of Sending South African Men to Fight in Ukraine
Published on November 25, 2025 at 1:16 PM by Evance Kapito
South African police are investigating serious allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, lured 17 men into joining Russia’s war in Ukraine under false pretences, according to DW Africa.
Zuma-Sambudla is accused of recruiting the men by claiming they would be employed as bodyguards for her father’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party. However, her stepsister, Nkosazana Bongamini Zuma-Mncube, alleges the group was instead sent to Russia and later deployed to the front lines of the conflict.
Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed receiving “distress calls” from the men aged between 20 and 39 who said they were trapped in the war-torn Donbas region and were seeking help to return home.
Zuma-Sambudla has not responded to the allegations.
She is already facing a separate criminal trial for her alleged role in inciting the deadly 2021 riots in South Africa, which left more than 350 people dead.
Police investigations into the new claims remain ongoing.
DW Africa.
