South Africans recruited for Ukraine war: Duduzile Zuma named

Cape Town – Duduzile Zuma, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma and a sitting MP, is alleged to have recruited about 20 young men from South Africa and Botswana to join Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.

Last week, the South African government said it had received “distress calls” from the men who were trapped in the epicentre of the fighting in Ukraine’s Donbas region, begging to bring them home.

The presidency said the group, aged between 20 and 39, had been “lured” into joining mercenary forces “on the pretext of lucrative employment contracts,” without specifying which side they were fighting for.

*TO ALL MEDIA/NEWS EDITORS*

*THURSDAY 06 November 2025*

*SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT RECEIVES*
*DISTRESS CALL FROM CITIZENS TRAPPED IN RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT*

The government of South Africa has received distress calls for assistance to return home from seventeen (17) South…

— African (@ali_naka) November 6, 2025

Local outlet News24 and Ukrainian officials have since indicated the men were enlisted on the Russian side.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said at least 1,436 citizens from 36 African countries had been identified among the fighters serving in Russian ranks.

According to Bloomberg, the South African recruits were told they were travelling to Russia for bodyguard training for Jacob Zuma’s MK Party.

Once there, they unknowingly signed military contracts written entirely in Russian and were later deployed to the Ukrainian frontlines, losing contact with their families in August.

❗️The daughter of South Africa’s former president has been involved in recruiting men from South Africa and Botswana to fight in the war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.

In July 2025, Duduzile Zuma, a member of South Africa’s parliament, convinced at least 18 young Africans… pic.twitter.com/xwzZLLWnOC

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) November 20, 2025

WhatsApp messages and photos seen by Bloomberg show Duduzile assuring families that the recruits would not be sent into combat, even as the men later reported being moved closer to a war zone.

“As we speak now, we are packing and preparing to move to the war zone,” one of the young men said in a WhatsApp message to Duduzile Zuma, asking why his phone and bank cards were being taken away.

“It’s not the frontline. They are just scaring you,” she responds. “What I know is that you will watch Russian solders go in and out of the red zone and you may just patrol or be put on cooking duties or gun cleaning,” she says later, promising to fetch them “personally” if they are sent to the frontline.

Allegations suggest the recruits were misled, believing they were participating in a security training program but ended up in combat zones.

Duduzile Zuma, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, is accused of recruiting men for the Ukraine conflict, supporting… pic.twitter.com/cwysTqNCRy

— Business Insider Africa (@BusInsiderSSA) November 20, 2025

Working as a mercenary is illegal in South Africa.

Neither Duduzile Zuma, the MK Party, the South African government, nor Russian officials responded to requests for comment, Bloomberg reported.

The revelations come shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered an investigation into the recruitment of South Africans to fight in Russia’s war, following reports that 17 citizens were stranded in the Donbas region.

Duduzile Zuma has previously been linked to pro-Russia online campaigns and is currently on trial for treason related to the 2021 unrest.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, recruited Africans to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine

According to Bloomberg, she recruited around 20 men from South Africa and Botswana, promising them bodyguard training courses.… pic.twitter.com/5iMJ0xFGvh

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 19, 2025