Fears Mount for South African and Botswana Recruits Deployed to Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Zuma-Sambudla Accused in Alleged Military Recruitment Scheme
Johannesburg – The families of young men from South Africa and Botswana are living in fear after their sons and relatives were allegedly recruited under false pretences to fight in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, has been implicated in an alleged scheme to recruit these men, purportedly for security training, only for them to be deployed to the war zone.
The plight of these recruits was brought to light through desperate voice notes and tearful accounts from their mothers, painting a picture of deception and dashed hopes.
Phumla Zuma, a 69-year-old mother from South Africa, shared a heartbreaking voice note from her son, an MK Party recruit, who is currently stationed in the conflict zone. His voice, thick with emotion, revealed the grim reality: "We are getting by, even though it’s painful, but hope is starting to disappear." He added, struggling to maintain composure, "Our condition has not changed."
Zuma recounted how her two sons, aged 34 and 28, along with her grandchild, were recruited by Siphokazi Xuma, an individual reportedly close to the Zuma family. In July, Xuma approached her and one of her sons, promising an opportunity to train as bodyguards in Russia for a year.
"She said when they come back home, the MK Party would organise jobs for them," Zuma explained. Eager for her son to have a better future, she raised R1,000 to renew his passport. "My grandchild already had his passport," she added.
According to Zuma, her sons informed her that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was also present in Russia. The situation took a dark turn when her sons revealed they had been given firearms and camouflage uniforms.
Overcome with emotion, Zuma lamented, "These kids have never even used a bush knife. Even though they are Zulu, whenever there is a function, they don’t know how to carry the sticks. But now they are forced to go and fight?"
"They never touched a gun or even a knife," she continued. "Can you imagine, as a mother, hearing that your child is in a war zone? I can’t sleep." Zuma has been unable to contact Siphokazi Xuma since her sons' deployment.
Adding to the distress, a Botswana mother has made similar allegations, claiming that her son was recruited by Zuma-Sambudla under the guise of a "personal development course" in Russia.
The 39-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated that Zuma-Sambudla is a friend of her child’s father, a Botswana citizen residing in South Africa. Her 19-year-old son, who shares a birthday with former president Zuma, was allegedly offered the opportunity earlier this year.
"I was like, ‘Guys, no’, I want my son back. I was not aware that this is military training. Had I known from the onset, I would have never allowed my child to go," she said, expressing her shock and betrayal.
The woman revealed that her son later disclosed that they were coerced into signing contracts written in Russian. Upon translating the contract, she discovered that her son was effectively joining the Russian military.
Her son, who had never handled a firearm before, reportedly sustained a hand injury due to a gun misfiring. The last time she spoke to him was on August 27. She later learned from other parents that he had been deployed to the frontlines and was last seen on August 28.
"I was furious and livid. I would not want to believe that the woman my son calls aunty Dudu would put my son’s life in danger," she exclaimed.
In a conference call held two weeks ago with Zuma-Sambudla, her son’s father, and the parents of her son’s cousin, the Botswana mother accused Zuma-Sambudla of attempting to deflect blame.
"We told her, ‘Don’t try to bring anyone else into the picture. The children say you are the one who came with Siphokazi and convinced them to sign contracts’," she asserted.
Another South African, Ayanda Mnguni, shared voice notes from her 38-year-old brother, who was also recruited. In the messages, he indicated that they were being moved to another location.
Mnguni explained that her brother had informed the family of his imminent departure for training just a week prior to leaving. Despite their concerns about the hasty nature of the trip, they were unable to dissuade him.
"When someone is looking for something better, you cannot stop them, and he is part of the MK Party and thought it was a great opportunity," Mnguni said.
Upon arriving in Russia, her brother revealed that he had been given a camouflage uniform and firearms. "You could hear that he is not okay. He would whisper as if he were hiding from someone. I think he was still confused as to what was happening," she recounted.
The woman has since informed the government of Botswana because “this is a clear case of human trafficking”.
The chairperson of the portfolio committee on international relations and cooperation, Supra Mahumapelo, stated that police are investigating the matter to determine how the men were recruited, processed, and integrated into the Russian army.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said there was no update on when the men would be brought back to SA.
Numerous attempts to contact Zuma-Sambudla and Xuma for comment failed. They have not responded to calls and messages.
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