Keypoints:
- Families seek answers on trapped men
- MK distances itself from scandal
- Police investigate trafficking claims
DUDUZILE Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has resigned as a member of parliament following allegations that she played a role in sending a group of South African men to Russia, believing they were signing up for training, only to find themselves fighting as mercenaries in Ukraine.
The allegations centre on claims by several families that 17 South Africans were misled and are now trapped in the conflict-scarred Donbas region. Zuma-Sambudla, who represented the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, insists she believed she was facilitating access to ‘lawful’ non-combat training.
MK said her resignation was voluntary and aimed at allowing her to focus on efforts to repatriate those caught in the conflict. Party chairperson Nkosinathi Nhleko said officials had accepted her decision and supported attempts to return the men safely.
Family says resignation ‘means nothing’
One brother of a South African now stuck in Donetsk told the BBC that the family wants accountability, not political manoeuvring. Speaking under the pseudonym Xolani for safety, he said his brother Sipho had sent increasingly desperate voice notes from the frontline.
‘Things you see in the movies, we’re seeing live,’ Sipho said in a voice note shared with the BBC. Xolani added that the men feel abandoned and are living in constant fear. ‘He doesn’t know what will happen when night approaches because they are always in a war zone,’ he said.
He dismissed Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation as an attempt to protect her father’s new political party rather than a gesture to support the families. ‘The families want accountability and the return of the men who were tricked into fighting for Russia,’ he said.
Allegations of recruitment and deception
Sipho’s account suggests he was recruited by two individuals, one of them allegedly Zuma-Sambudla. He said the group had their flights to Russia paid for, believing they were heading for bodyguard and counter-intelligence training linked to MK.
Zuma-Sambudla denies wrongdoing and says she is ‘profoundly shocked’ by the men’s plight. She has described herself as a victim of deception, claiming she only ever shared information about training programmes she believed to be legitimate.
Other families paint a similar picture. The sister of another South African now stuck in Donbas said her brother accepted the training offer because he was unemployed. ‘They are treated as slaves, told what to do, and threatened if they don’t co-operate,’ she told the BBC.
A journey that ended in a war zone
According to Xolani, the men arrived in Russia in July and were made to sign contracts written in Russian. They sought help from the alleged recruiters, who then travelled to Russia and convinced them to sign.
In early August, members of the group were moved to Ukraine. Sipho ended up in Donetsk, close to the frontline. Voice notes and WhatsApp messages obtained by the BBC show the men expressing fear, reporting drone strikes and constant movement in unsafe conditions.
One message read: ‘We were told that we are going to a safe place but we went even more deeper in the bad place.’ Another added: ‘If anything happens guys… until next time.’
A contact saved as ‘Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’ later appears in the WhatsApp group, urging the men to ‘hang in there’. The BBC attempted to reach the number linked to her profile picture, but it went unanswered.
Police probe trafficking and recruitment claims
The situation escalated after Zuma-Sambudla’s half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, filed a police complaint accusing her of luring South Africans into joining the war under false pretences. Zuma-Sambudla then filed her own affidavit, denying all allegations.
South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, confirmed that both women have opened cases. Investigators are probing potential offences including human trafficking, illegal recruitment, exploitation and fraud.
Zuma-Mncube alleges 17 South Africans were led to Russia and handed to a mercenary group. She says eight of her relatives are among them.
Government silent as families wait
South Africa’s government confirmed earlier this month that it had received distress calls from citizens trapped in Donbas, but it has provided no recent update. Officials previously said they were using diplomatic channels to secure their return.
Voice notes heard by the BBC suggest as many as 24 South Africans may have been recruited, including some from Botswana. One message claims a South African was wounded, possibly by shrapnel, and his whereabouts are unknown.
For now, families remain anxious. ‘We can go five days without hearing from him,’ Xolani said. ‘The family is concerned about his life.’
Sipho continues to send messages from the conflict zone: ‘It’s tough here… we all just want to come home.’
