The security course turned out to be a trap. How the daughter of the former president of South Africa progressively recruited recruits for the Russian army

According to correspondence quoted by Bloomberg, Zuma-Sambudla was to organize the transfer of 17 men from South Africa and Botswana to Russia.

The men were allegedly told that they would be sent to security courses organized by MK. Instead, they were presented with military contracts written in a language they did not understand, and soon after, they became unreachable to their loved ones.

Photos analyzed by Bloomberg show men in camouflage uniforms undergoing combat training with Russian instructors. Relatives gave journalists the news in which Zuma-Sambudla assured families the men 'will not be sent to the front lines' and claimed that she would “personally get them out” if that happened.

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In WhatsApp messages analyzed by journalists, one of the young men tells Zuma-Sambudla that they are “packing and preparing to move to a war zone”, asking why their phones and bank cards are being confiscated.

Zuma-Sambudla reassures him: “This is not the front line. They are just scaring you.” He adds that he can only be assigned to patrolling, cooking or cleaning weapons, and promises to “personally” pick him up if he is sent to the front lines.

In other news, Zuma-Sambudla claims she herself attended such a security guard training course, assuring recruits that the instructors “will torment them as much as they did her” and that “everything will be fine.”

The daughter of the former president of South Africa has connections with the Kremlin

MK party founder Jacob Zuma maintained close relations with Russia during his term as president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. Zuma-Sambudla herself has previously traveled to Russia, publicly expressed support for Vladimir Putin and criticized current South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, who had previously ordered an investigation into reports of the MP's recruitment activities.

Already in early November, the South African government announced that it had been asked to bring home 17 men, aged 20 to 39, who were allegedly “trapped” on the front in the Donbas region after being lured there “under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts.” The authorities said they were working to return them home and explaining the circumstances of their appearance in the conflict zone.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla in the High Court in Durban, South Africa over her alleged role in the July 2021 riots, November 10, 2025.Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images/Getty Images

On Sunday, November 23, the police announced the launch of an investigation into Zuma-Sambudla's case following an official report by her half-sister, who accused her and two other people of involvement.

In November, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that over 1,400 African citizens fought on Russia's side in Ukraine – among them were over 200 Kenyans, one of whom was a former athlete who claimed to have been “recruited” into the Russian army.

In June, the Ukrainian military captured two Cameroonian citizens who said they initially went to Russia to “produce shampoo” and “treat teeth” before being recruited to fight in the war.

In September, Kyiv Post visited a Ukrainian prison camp and interviewed Joshua, a student from Ghana who studied in Moscow before joining the Russian army, and Mohammed Salah from Egypt, who claimed he was lured by the promise of Russian citizenship.