Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, has resigned as a Member of Parliament and as an MP for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party amid growing criminal and political pressure over allegations that she recruited South Africans to fight for Russia in the Ukraine war and an ongoing terrorism-incitement trial linked to the July 2021 unrest.
According to News24, MK Party chairperson Nathi Nhleko announced at a briefing on Friday that Zuma-Sambudla had “voluntarily” stepped down from Parliament and all party positions, and that she would not be involved in any public engagements while investigations continue.
Why Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has resigned now
Party officials told reporters that Zuma-Sambudla submitted her resignation on Friday morning after presenting a detailed report on the Russia-Ukraine matter and handing in an affidavit she made to police.
They emphasised that the MK Party was “never involved” in organising the trip that saw a group of young men land up near the frontlines of the conflict.
MK Party presidency head Magasela Mzobe said the party accepted her resignation and framed it as a decision to focus on helping affected families, adding that the Russia-Ukraine allegations are now the subject of a formal investigation by law-enforcement authorities.
At the briefing, leaders also confirmed that she would withdraw from party activities and that the organisation planned to engage families of the men who travelled to Russia and support efforts to secure their safe return.
Allegations she recruited men to fight for Russia in Ukraine
The resignation follows sustained reporting that at least 18 young men, some as young as 19, believed they were being sent through MK Party-linked channels for prestigious bodyguard training in Russia, but ended up receiving military training and being deployed close to active combat zones in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The group reportedly left OR Tambo International Airport on 8 July 2025 expecting security training.
Instead, they described operating heavy weapons, sleeping in forest bunkers and dodging drone attacks roughly 10km from the front line.
Several of the men, including relatives of Zuma-Sambudla, have since sent distressed messages home asking for help to return.
Zuma-Sambudla, nicknamed “Auntie Dudu” by some of the recruits, is alleged to have acted as a key organiser.
WhatsApp messages published in media reports show her as an administrator on group chats, attempting to calm fears as the men realised they were near a war zone.
She is also accused in a criminal complaint laid by her sister of luring the men under false pretences and handing them over to Russian forces or affiliated groups.
The MK Party leadership has insisted that, while Zuma-Sambudla may have had personal dealings with the recruits, the party as an organisation did not send anyone to Ukraine and was not involved in the arrangements.
Separate terrorism and incitement trial over July 2021 unrest
Parallel to the Russia allegations, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is currently on trial in the Durban High Court on charges related to the deadly July 2021 unrest, which followed her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court.
Prosecutors accuse her of incitement to commit terrorism and public violence through social media posts that they say encouraged protests and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The unrest left more than 350 people dead and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and businesses, with losses estimated in the tens of billions of rand.
Zuma-Sambudla has pleaded not guilty, arguing that her posts were political expression and that she is being targeted for her support of her father and the MK Party.
Her trial, which began in November 2025, has included testimony from digital forensics and social media experts about the origin and impact of posts attributed to her accounts.
The case is one of South Africa’s first terrorism prosecutions centred on online speech, and its outcome could set an important precedent for how courts treat digital mobilisation during periods of unrest.
