Former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter and MK Party MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has resigned as a member of parliament.
This follows revelations about her alleged role in “misleading” 17 South African men to fight on the frontlines of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war
MKP national chairperson Nathi Nhleko made the announcement during a briefing in Durban on Friday.
The DA laid criminal charges against Zuma-Sambudla for her alleged central role in recruiting and trafficking young South African men into Russia’s war in Ukraine.
This followed a case opened by her half-sister Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube.
“Zuma-Sambudla confirmed the contents of an affidavit deposed with the police. She has declared her full cooperation with the ongoing investigation by relevant authorities, as a consequence of which she has handed in her resignation from the National Assembly and all public representative responsibilities with immediate effect,” Nhleko said.
He confirmed the party has accepted her resignation and will support her efforts to ensure the men are brought safely back to their families.
He also distanced the party from the saga.
Zuma-Sambudla is facing allegations that she duped the men into being recruited into the war under false pretences that they were going to Russia for security training. It was only upon their arrival that they realised they were being sent to the frontlines as part of the Russian military battalion.
TimesLIVE has seen WhatsApp group where the 17 recruits were giving her constant updates on their travel to Russia.
The under duress men have also been in contact with their families asking to be rescued.
The presidency has called for an investigation into how the 17 men found themselves in the Russia-Ukraine war as the statute of the country does not make provision for South Africans to be recruited into the war.
MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed to TimesLIVE that Zuma-Sambudla has resigned as a member of parliament but that she remains a member of the party.
He said she had resigned to “focus on assisting the families” of the 17 recruits to ensure they are brought back safely.
Nhleko also said: “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”.
The men are said to be mostly from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Some are close relatives of Zuma-Sambudla.
It is not clear why she would have recruited them into the war.
This is a developing story.
TimesLIVE
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