Family ties may become strained for former South African President Jacob Zuma after his eldest daughter accused her half-sister of deceiving 17 men – half of whom are reportedly relatives – into fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
The controversy highlights the growing recruitment of Africans into Russian military forces due to a shortage of Russian recruits as well as the close ties between Moscow and veterans of the African National Congress. Zuma previously belonged to the political party, which originated as a liberation movement that fought for democratic rule in South Africa.
Zuma, 83, stepped down as president in 2018 in the wake of a series of corruption scandals and was expelled from the party he once led in 2024. He received military training in the Soviet Union during apartheid, an institutionalized system of racial segregation that kept Blacks and Whites apart.
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Authorities revealed last month that the men were “lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.”
Zuma-Mncube alleged that the actions of Zuma-Sambudla and two other individuals contributed to the men’s situation. Zuma-Sambudla has not publicly responded to the accusations.
Under South African law, it is illegal to serve in a foreign military without government approval.