By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma on Friday announced her resignation as a member of the country’s parliament, arising from allegations that she tricked 17 men to fight for Russia as mercenaries in its war with Ukraine.
Zuma-Sambudla, who was elected as MP last year on the platform of her father’s main opposition party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK)said in an affidavit that she thought the men were going to Russia for “lawful” training.
The party says it was her decision to resign as she wants to focus her efforts on ensuring the return of those trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region.
A family member of one of the men, who has been sending desperate voice notes about his situation, says the family wants accountability and his safe return.
“Things you see in the movies, we’re seeing it live,” the 40-year-old said in one of the messages shared with the BBC by his family about the horrors they were being subjected to in Ukraine.
MK has distanced itself from the controversy involving the MP.
“The national officials have accepted comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s decision to resign and support her efforts to ensure that these young South Africans are brought back safely to their families,” MK chairperson Nkosinathi Nhleko said at a press conference on Friday.
“He’s living in fear because he doesn’t know what the future holds or what will happen to him when night approaches because they are always in a war zone,” the family member who is helping a trapped victim return said, adding that the resignation of Zuma-Sambudla, whose father now leads MK, means nothing to the family.
“She’s just trying to save the reputation of her father’s political party… The families want accountability and the return of the men who were tricked into fighting for Russia.”
BBC quoted a sister of another South African trapped in Donbas as saying that her brother was recruited to receive “counter-intelligence” and “bodyguard” training for MK, an offer he took up because he was unemployed.
The former MP filed an affidavit with police after her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, accused her of tricking South Africans to join the war.
On Tuesday, South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, confirmed that both women had registered cases with the police.
The Hawks did not give any details, but said in a statement that “both matters are being investigated jointly to determine whether any criminality, including possible human trafficking, illegal recruitment, exploitation or fraud” had taken place.
