Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma and a prominent Member of Parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, has resigned from the National Assembly and all party structures with immediate effect, following explosive allegations that she orchestrated the recruitment of 17 young South African men to fight on Russia’s frontlines in the Ukraine war.
The resignation was announced by MK Party national chairperson Nathi Nhleko during a tense press briefing in Durban on Friday, where party officials sought to distance themselves from the controversy. “Comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has tendered her resignation from the National Assembly and all public representative responsibilities with immediate effect,” Nhleko stated, emphasizing that the party had no involvement in the alleged recruitment. Nhleko added that the party’s priority now is to engage the affected families and support efforts for the men’s safe return, describing the matter as a personal issue rather than a political one.
The scandal erupted last weekend when Zuma-Sambudla’s sister, Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, lodged a criminal complaint against her at a Durban police station, accusing her of misleading the men—mostly from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape—with false promises of lucrative security jobs in Russia. Families claim the recruits, lured under the guise of “bodyguard training,” were instead transported to the Donbas region and forced into combat without consent, leaving them stranded and in peril. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has since filed additional charges against Zuma-Sambudla for human trafficking, fraud, and providing foreign military assistance, while the Hawks—the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation—are probing the case.
Zuma-Sambudla, 42, vehemently denies the accusations, insisting she too was deceived by a male recruiter she has since countersued. In an affidavit submitted to authorities, she claimed the scheme was misrepresented to her as legitimate employment opportunities and vowed full cooperation with investigations. Her legal woes compound existing charges of terrorism and incitement related to the deadly July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal, for which she is currently on trial in the Durban High Court—where her counsel, Advocate Dali Mpofu, has dismissed the recruitment probe as “baseless and politically motivated.”
In response to the uproar, President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed a high-level probe into the recruitment circumstances, underscoring South Africa’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its prohibitions on citizens joining foreign militaries. MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela clarified that while Zuma-Sambudla has stepped down from her parliamentary role to “focus on assisting the families,” she retains party membership for now, with leaders expressing support for her efforts to resolve the crisis.
The resignation has sent shockwaves through the MK Party, which vaulted to third place in the May 2024 elections on a pro-Zuma, anti-corruption platform but has since grappled with internal scandals. Social media erupted with criticism, including posts questioning why Zuma-Sambudla’s “toxic” influence wasn’t curbed earlier by her father, potentially damaging the party’s voter base ahead of 2026 polls. One X user lamented: “She has destroyed the Political Party of MK… He [Jacob Zuma] has failed his 4 million voters allowing his toxic daughter to do whatever she wanted.” Others, like @TheTruthPanther, highlighted the timing amid her ongoing trial: “Her resignation comes amid mounting scrutiny… The investigation continues.”
As the men remain trapped abroad—with reports of at least one confirmed death—the spotlight intensifies on how South African politicians navigate international entanglements. Zuma-Sambudla’s exit marks a dramatic fall for the outspoken MP, once a fiery defender of her family’s legacy, now entangled in a web of allegations that could redefine MK’s trajectory. Police investigations are ongoing, with more developments expected.