Criminal charges laid against Jacob Zuma’s daughter

The Democratic Alliance and others have laid criminal charges against uMkhonto we Sizwe Party MP and the daughter of the party’s leader, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla.

This is for her alleged role in trafficking young South African men into the Russian war effort in Ukraine.

News24 investigations first revealed how 17 men have found themselves on the frontline of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine after allegedly being told they were going there for bodyguard training.

“The charges laid today include human trafficking, contraventions of South Africa’s anti-mercenary legislation, and additional offences that the SAPS must now investigate,” DA MP Chris Hattingh said.

Hattingh said that this follows 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.

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.”

Hattingh says that despite South Africa’s strict prohibitions on mercenary recruitment, Defence Intelligence and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation remain publicly silent.

“Their silence can only be interpreted as tacit support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Hattingh argued.

“This dangerous foreign policy ambiguity is already straining relations with South Africa’s major trading partners, who increasingly view the ANC’s political proximity to Russia as a growing security risk.”

Ukraine’s Ambassador to South Africa, Olexander Scherba, has stated that prominent South Africans were allegedly involved in recruiting the group to fight for Russia.

He told Newzroom Afrika that no South Africans are fighting on his country’s side, and that those lured to fight in the conflict are against Ukraine.

“It is highly regrettable, and I am in touch with one of the families. I wrote an email and said let us figure it out,” he said.

South African Police Service spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe has confirmed that an enquiry docket has been 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 over the weekend 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 in the front lines of this battle, but we are hopeful that there will be breakthroughs.”

Zuma-Sambudla is a member of parliament for the MK Party, which her father founded in 2023 after he was expelled from the ruling African National Congress, which he led from 2007 to 2017.