By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
UmKhonto weSizwe MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has been accused of recruiting South African civilians as mercenaries and dispatching them to fight in the Russian war against Ukraine.
17 men have been deceived into going to Russia as they realise upon arrival that they have been dispatched to fight in the war unbeknownst to them. A blunt term used to describe this deception would be Human Trafficking, as this infringes on the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act.
Despite these reports there has been no urgency shown to apprehend the MK MP as this causes the families of the victims great anguish and anger upon learning that nothing is being done to ensure that there is justice in this matter. Zuma-Sambudla resigned from parliament on Friday amid these claims of human trafficking.
“The national officials have accepted comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s decision to resign and support her efforts that these young South Africans are brought back safely to their families” said Nkosinathi Nhleko the MK party’s national spokesperson.
Zuma-Sambudla has been a member of parliament since June 2024 under the MK Party. It is said that Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation was voluntary, along with other positions that she held such as in the National Assembly.
Nhleko has emphasised that the party was not involved in the luring of the 17 men sent to Russia and have also highlighted that Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation does not serve as an admission of guilt, however the MK party are dedicated to ensuring that these men arrive home safely from Ukraine.
Zuma-Sambudla has not made any public statements regarding the accusations, despite her being present at the press conference led by Nhleko. Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, the half-sister of Duduzile, last weekend made a formal request for her half-sister to be probed by the relevant authorities as well as the police.
In an affidavit submitted by Nkosazana, it alleges that Zuma-Sambudla lured two men, one of those being her own nephew, to travel to Russia as they were forced to fight in the war against Ukraine. The action also goes against the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act and these allegations infringe on international humanitarian law.