South African police are investigating Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, and two others for allegedly luring 17 men to fight for Russia in Ukraine.
The men, aged 20-39, were reportedly promised lucrative employment contracts but were instead handed over to a Russian mercenary group.
The investigation follows a formal complaint by Zuma-Sambudla’s half-sister, Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, who claims the men were recruited under false pretenses.
The South African presidency had earlier announced an investigation into how the men ended up joining mercenary forces.
Zuma-Sambudla, a senior lawmaker with her father’s uMkhonto we Sizwe party, faces separate charges linked to public violence during deadly unrest in 2021.
The case has been handed over to the Hawks, a specialized police unit, for further investigation.
