A serving member of the South African National Assembly and daughter of former President Jacob Zuma helped send African recruits to fight against Ukraine for Russia’s war effort under the guise of security training, according to allegations highlighted Monday by Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project and supported by emerging police investigations in South Africa.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa from her father’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, allegedly organized the transfer of 17 men from South Africa and Botswana to Russia.
They were reportedly told they were being sent for bodyguard courses linked to MK. Instead, according to correspondence cited by Bloomberg, the men were presented with military contracts written in a language they did not understand and were soon unreachable by relatives.
Photographs reviewed by Bloomberg showed the men in camouflage uniforms undergoing combat training with Russian instructors. Relatives shared messages with journalists in which Zuma-Sambudla assured families that the men would “not be sent to the front line” and claimed she would “personally pull them out” if that happened.
WhatsApp messages reviewed by journalists show one of the young men telling Zuma-Sambudla that “we are packing and preparing to move to the war zone,” asking why their phones and bank cards were being confiscated.
Zuma-Sambudla reassures him: “It’s not the front line. They are just scaring you.” She adds that he may only be assigned patrols, cooking duties or gun cleaning, and promises to “personally” retrieve them if they are sent to the front line.
In other messages, Zuma-Sambudla claims she herself attended the same bodyguard training course, telling the recruits that instructors “will taunt you like they did with me,” but insisting that “all will be well.”
The case had been handed to a special police unit that investigates crimes against the state to determine the charges.
The presidency said in early November it had been asked to bring home the 17 men who were allegedly “trapped” in Donbas after being lured there “under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.”
It is illegal for South Africans to serve in foreign armed forces without government authorization.
Zuma-Sambudla has previously traveled to Russia, publicly expressed support for Vladimir Putin, and criticized sitting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who earlier ordered an inquiry into reports of Russian recruitment activity targeting South African citizens.
Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project, which helps Russian soldiers surrender safely, said the case highlights the scope and organization of Russian recruitment networks operating in Africa.