Lawmaker resigns after allegations of deceptive recruitment into Russian military
Duduzile Zuma, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has resigned from the national parliament following reports that she recruited young men from South Africa and Botswana to serve in the Russian armed forces during the war against Ukraine. According to coverage of the case, Zuma stepped down after reports she helped recruit men for Russia as detailed by Bloomberg. Around twenty men travelled to Russia in July after being told they would receive training as security guards for her father’s political party, uMkhonto weSizwe (“Spear of the Nation”). Instead, they reportedly signed military contracts written in Russian and were deployed to the front line in Ukraine, losing contact with their families in August.
The party said Duduzile Zuma would cooperate fully with the police investigation. She denied involvement in any recruitment campaign, and the party insisted it had no connection to the war in Ukraine.
Criminal case deepens political rupture inside the Zuma family
Another daughter of Jacob Zuma, Nkosazana Zuma-Ncube, has opened a criminal case against her half-sister and two other individuals, accusing them of luring men to Russia under false pretences and handing them over to a mercenary group without their knowledge or consent. The matter gained urgency after President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered an investigation into how South African citizens had been recruited to fight as mercenaries in Russia’s war. Earlier this month, Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that seventeen South Africans stranded in occupied Donbas had sought consular assistance, along with two citizens of Botswana.
Duduzile Zuma has previously drawn attention for amplifying pro-Kremlin messaging on social media, including public expressions of support for Vladimir Putin. She is currently facing trial on charges of treason for allegedly inciting violence during unrest in 2021, when around 350 people were killed following her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court.
Russia’s recruitment tactics expose global dimensions of its war
Analysts say the scandal demonstrates that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is far from a regional conflict: Moscow is attempting to draw in people and resources from multiple continents, widening the war’s security implications. The alleged deception used to recruit young African men — offering security jobs but sending them into combat — highlights Russia’s willingness to exploit vulnerable groups to replenish its forces. African governments now face growing pressure to confront the phenomenon as a matter of national security and international reputation.
The Kremlin has long leveraged anti-colonial narratives to appeal to audiences in Africa, portraying its war as resistance against Western domination. This messaging has created fertile ground for propaganda, helping explain why some political figures or activists in Africa engage with Russian structures. For Ukraine and its partners, dismantling these narratives is essential to countering Moscow’s influence and presenting the war as what it is: an act of aggression against a sovereign state, not an anti-colonial struggle.
Internal fractures and propaganda networks shape wider African response
The criminal complaint filed by Zuma-Ncube reveals divisions within political families and parties, even in circles where sympathy for Russia exists. For Ukraine, these internal splits offer opportunities to build partnerships with African governments against illegal recruitment networks. The case also illustrates how Moscow blends online propaganda with offline recruitment, using social platforms to cultivate an image of Russia as a global champion against Western hegemony.
Experts note that the Zuma scandal underscores the war’s global reach. Africa has become a battleground for competing interpretations of the conflict — whether it is a colonial-style invasion by Russia or a “revolution” against Western influence. Moscow is attempting to weaponise historic traumas to justify its actions, while Ukraine seeks to highlight that the true colonial practices are those of Russia, which continues to subjugate other nations by force.
