Zuma’s daughter quits South African parliament amid Russian mercenary scandal

A daughter of South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament after claims she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries in the Ukraine war, her party said on Friday.

Police last week said they were investigating allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, an MP in her father’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, had lured 17 South African men to Russia “to fight in the Ukrainian war without their knowledge or consent”.

The presidency said in early November it had been asked to bring home the 17 men who were allegedly “trapped” in Donbas after being lured there “under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts”.

“Comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has tendered her resignation from the National Assembly and all public representative responsibilities with immediate effect,” MK party national chairperson Nkosinathi Nhleko said at a press briefing in the coastal city of Durban.

“As far as we know, the resignation has got nothing to do with admission of guilt or the organisation finding her guilty,” said another party official, Magasela Mzobe.

“Umkhonto we Sizwe as a party is not involved in the Russian-Ukraine matter affecting these young people,” Mzobe said.