23rd November 2025, Published by Cyril
South African authorities are investigating claims that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, allegedly recruited South Africans to join Russian mercenary forces fighting in Ukraine.
Police said the allegations were made by one of Zuma-Sambudla’s sisters in an affidavit requesting a formal investigation. The claims suggest that she, along with two others, played a role in recruiting 17 South Africans who were later reported trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region.
NAIJABLOGDAILY.COM
According to police statements, the men were allegedly “lured to Russia under false pretences and handed to a Russian mercenary group to fight in the Ukrainian war without their knowledge or consent.”
The case has been handed to a special police unit that investigates crimes against the state to determine potential charges.
Earlier this month, the South African presidency confirmed it had been asked to assist in bringing the 17 men home, who were allegedly promised lucrative employment contracts but instead found themselves involved in military operations abroad.
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The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has seen mercenaries from multiple African countries drawn into the war. Reports indicate that the men were allegedly sent to Russia for security training under the opposition MK political party, headed by Zuma.
South African law prohibits citizens from joining foreign armies unless explicitly authorised by the government.
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