Allegations of Recruitment in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Surface Within Zuma Family

Mon Nov 24 2025 22:13:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A criminal complaint has been filed by Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube against her sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, for allegedly recruiting men in South Africa to fight for Russian mercenaries in the ongoing conflict.

In a dramatic turn of events, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube has accused her sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, of orchestrating a recruitment scheme to enlist South African men for combat in the Russia-Ukraine war. The complaint claims that the recruits were misled into believing they would be training as bodyguards instead of joining a mercenary force. This accusation adds another layer of controversy to Zuma-Sambudla's legal issues, as she is already facing trial on unrelated terrorism charges stemming from incidents during the probes into their father, Jacob Zuma's presidency.

One of the daughters of Jacob Zuma, South Africa's former president, has filed a criminal complaint against her sister, accusing her of recruiting men from South Africa to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube alleged that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who serves as an MP, and two others tricked 17 men into fighting for Russian mercenaries.

The men were told they were travelling to Russia to train as bodyguards for Jacob Zuma's political party, Mkhonto Wesizwe (MK), according to Zuma-Mncube's statement.

Local authorities have opened an investigation into the claims, while Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has not yet responded to the media's inquiries regarding the allegations.

Furthermore, the South African government previously acknowledged receiving distress calls from 17 citizens who had joined mercenary forces amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The recruits, aged between 20 and 39, were reportedly attracted to the promise of hefty contracts.

The economic landscape in South Africa, characterized by a high unemployment rate exceeding 30%, particularly affects the youth, rendering them more susceptible to recruitment efforts by mercenary groups.

Zuma-Mncube expressed a moral obligation to report her sister, indicating a rift within the Zuma family deepened by these allegations.

Moreover, similar accusations against Duduzile were highlighted in a recent Bloomberg report, suggesting potential recruitment activities extending beyond South African borders into neighboring Botswana.

The allegations against her only compound Duduzile's existing legal challenges as she currently faces trial over terrorism-related charges linked to her social media comments during a turbulent period in July 2021 when South Africa experienced widespread unrest following her father's arrest.

Jacob Zuma, who was incarcerated for contempt of court, refused to cooperate in a corruption inquiry that plagued his presidency, leading to his ousting.

The BBC has reached out to the MK party and the Jacob Zuma Foundation for comments regarding the ongoing allegations.