Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla resigns from her father’s party

Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party MP and former President Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has resigned from Parliament and the party. 

Party chairperson Nathi Nhleko announced the resignation at a press briefing on Friday.

The party was briefing the public following various media reports regarding 17 men who have been trapped and deployed on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war, after being sent for “bodyguard training” by Zuma-Sambudla. 

The chairperson said that MK Party itself is not involved in the matter.

“Comrade Dudu was never forced to resign. She volunteered to resign because she wanted to focus on helping the families return their loved ones,” said Nhleko. 

He added that her resignation is not an admission of guilt or a result of any organisation finding her guilty. 

Zuma-Sambudla will fully cooperate with the state’s investigations into the deployment of the party members and, according to Nhleko, has resigned as a disciplined member of the party. 

Responding to questions of how MK’s involvement in the South Africans being trapped in the Ukraine will affect its numbers at the next local government elections, the chairperson said this should not be turned into a political matter. 

“There are families involved; these are human beings.” He added that MK has enough campaign material to ensure success for the upcoming elections, despite the widely publicised issue. 

The Democratic Alliance and others laid criminal charges against the party and Zuma-Sambudla this week for her alleged involvement in trafficking the young South Africans. 

DA MP Chris Hattingh said that the charges followed new evidence received by the party that includes around 100 WhatsApp messages from a group allegedly administered by Zuma-Sambudla.

“These messages show clear coordination in luring at least 22 men to Russia under the guise of ‘personal development’, ‘security training’, and even promises of Russian or Canadian citizenship,” he said.

Criminal charges for alleged human trafficking

Hattingh added that families of the men have independently provided testimonies, with one mother saying that her son was “excited for a new life” and believed he would be returning with foreign citizenship.

The party said that based on the information gathered, once the men arrived in Russia, their passports and clothing were burned, phones confiscated, and communications with families were gradually cut off.

Of the 22 men who travelled to Russia, 19 remain, 17 of whom are South African, all reportedly within the “red zone” in North Donetsk as part of the Russian forces.

On Monday, 24 November, Zuma-Sambudla’s sister, Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, opened a criminal case against her for her alleged involvement in recruiting 17 men who are now trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Her affidavit alleged that Zuma-Sambudla, alongside Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza, were “lured to Russia without their knowledge or consent.”

South African Police Service spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that an enquiry docket was registered for Zuma-Mncube’s charges and has been handed over to the Hawks.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg that diplomatic efforts were underway with Russia and Ukraine to repatriate the men.

“The police must investigate and whoever is involved in this must be arrested,” Lamola said, adding: “It is not an easy situation because they are on the front lines of this battle, but we are hopeful that there will be breakthroughs.”

Zuma-Sambudla is currently on trial for allegedly inciting violence on social media during the July 2021 unrest, following her father’s imprisonment. 

The violent protests began on 9 July 2021 after Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison on 29 June by the Constitutional Court for failing to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

This resulted in the deaths of 337 people, over 3,400 arrests and over 3,000 stores looted. The extent of the damage was worth R50 billion.