Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla Sisters Seek Help From Parliament Amid Russia-Ukraine Trafficking Saga

• Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's half sisters have approached Parliament to ask for help in returning the men who were trafficked to Donbas in Ukraine
• Zuma-Sambudla has been accused of trafficking 17 South Africans and Botswana nationals to fight in the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war
• The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations, Supra Mahumapel,o said he met with the sisters to discuss the case

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

PARLIAMENT, WESTERN CAPE — Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's half sisters knocked on Parliament's door in a bid to obtain assistance in returning the 17 men trapped in Donbas, Ukraine, and fighting the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Eyewitness News, Supra Mahumapelo, the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations, said on 3 December that he met with the siblings on 1 December 2025 in Johannesburg. The sisters informed him of the case that former president Jacob Zuma's eldest daughter, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube Zuma, opened at the Sandton Police station against Zuma-Sambudla.

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Hawks uncertain of Zuma-Sambudla’s link to five held in Russian recruitment probe

Mahumapelo discusses meeting Zuma sisters

Mahumapelo also said that after meeting the sisters, who told him about the Botswana national who is also stranded in Donbas, he called Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. She confirmed the information the sisters said, and Mahumapelo noted that Dlamini-Zuma noted how happy the family would be if the men returned home.

Department of International Relations comments

Zane Dangor, the Director-General of the Department of International Relations, told the committee that the men were believed to be trafficked. He said that the government is wary of discussing its steps in repatriating the South Africans. He added that the department is working with diplomatic missions in Russia and Ukraine to ensure the men return safely.

What you need to know about the SA men in Donbas

• One of the men who is stuck in Donbas alleged that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla recruited them to be trained as bodyguards for the MK Party in Russia
• Her sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, opened a case against her and accused her of taking her relatives, including her cousins, to Russia to fight in the war
• The South African Police Service confirmed that the Hawks were investigating the case after Zuma-Mncube opened the case in Sandton
• Zuma-Sambudla denied the allegations and said that she was the victim of a scam, as she received the training that the men were expecting to receive
• The mothers of the men in Donbas were shattered by the predicament, and this included a Botswanan national whose 19-year-old son was also recruited

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SABC's Nonkululeko Mantula appears in court, faces charges of alleged military law contravention

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla steps down as MP

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Zuma-Sambudla resigned from her position as a Member of Parliament for the MK Party. The party made the announcement during a press briefing in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on 28 November 2025.

The party's Head of the Presidency, Magasela Mzobe, said that Zuma-Sambudla voluntarily resigned as a Member of Parliament. This was after she was accused of trafficking 17 men to South Africans

Source: Briefly News