Ex-South African President’s Daughter Accused of Recruiting Men for Russia-Ukraine War
The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, was involved in recruiting men from South Africa and Botswana to serve in the Russian army.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Bloomberg.
About 20 young South Africans agreed to Dudzile Zuma's offer to undergo training as security guards for her father's party, the ANC (Umkhonto we Sizwe).
The men left for Russia in July, but once there, they were given contracts in Russian that effectively meant military service. They were then transferred to the front lines in Ukraine, and after that, their families lost contact with them.
Correspondence provided to journalists by the families shows that Duduzile Zuma reassured the parents, promising that the recruits would not be sent to the combat zone but would be used for patrolling or support tasks. Despite this, the men received military equipment and reported preparations for deployment to the battle field.
The situation caused a scandal in South Africa, as the participation of its citizens in hostilities on the side of a foreign state has been a criminal offense since 1998.
The incident has attracted additional attention due to the fact that Duduzile Zuma has repeatedly been involved in scandals over her pro-Russian activity on social media and participation in Russian information campaigns.
Relations between South Africa and Russia in recent years have been shaped by their partnership within BRICS, where both countries support political and economic cooperation. The South African government regularly declares its neutrality regarding Russia's war against Ukraine, but has repeatedly abstained from UN votes condemning the Russian invasion.
Despite its declared neutrality, South Africa has recently been embroiled in scandals involving the recruitment of its citizens into the Russian army and the presence of South African parts in Russian drones.
In particular, Russia is actively recruiting young South African women to work at a military factory producing strike drones in the Alabuga special economic zone, using promises of high salaries and career opportunities. Moreover, the Kremlin is using the BRICS network for these campaigns, effectively turning the international platform into a tool for its own military goals.
As The Gaze informed earlier, South Africa has launched an official investigation after it became known that its citizens, a group of men aged 20 to 39, sought help after finding themselves in an active combat zone in eastern Ukraine.
Read more on The Gaze: The Great Realignment: How the War in Ukraine Reshaped the Global South