South African authorities have launched an investigation into allegations that a daughter of former President Jacob Zuma recruited 17 men from her country to fight in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine under false pretences.
According to sources close to the matter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, one of Zuma's daughters, has filed a police report claiming that her sister Duduzile and two others, Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza, manipulated 17 men into joining Russian-backed mercenary forces in Ukraine. The men, aged between 20 and 39, are now reportedly trapped on the frontlines of the war.
The allegations centre around claims that Zuma-Sambudla and her accomplices promised these men lucrative employment contracts under the guise of paramilitary training, only to hand them over to Russian mercenaries without their knowledge or consent. Eight of those recruited were allegedly members of her own family.
Zuma-Mncube, another daughter of Jacob Zuma, has also come forward with allegations against Xuma and Khoza, claiming she was driven by a moral obligation to expose what she perceives as a people trafficking scandal involving false promises and coercion. Meanwhile, a rival faction is accusing the trio of breaking laws related to human trafficking, providing assistance to foreign militaries, and fraud.
Russian forces have been accused of relying on coercion and deception to recruit fighters from various countries, including Africa and South Asia. Social media platforms are often used to lure people into fighting for Russia with promises of well-paid jobs.
The Ukrainian military has released videos of captured foreign fighters who claim they were deceived into joining Russian-backed forces. Meanwhile, North Korean soldiers have reportedly been sent by their government to fight in Ukraine.
South African authorities have confirmed that 17 men from her country are currently trapped in Ukraine and are working to bring them home. The investigation is still ongoing.
According to sources close to the matter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, one of Zuma's daughters, has filed a police report claiming that her sister Duduzile and two others, Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza, manipulated 17 men into joining Russian-backed mercenary forces in Ukraine. The men, aged between 20 and 39, are now reportedly trapped on the frontlines of the war.
The allegations centre around claims that Zuma-Sambudla and her accomplices promised these men lucrative employment contracts under the guise of paramilitary training, only to hand them over to Russian mercenaries without their knowledge or consent. Eight of those recruited were allegedly members of her own family.
Zuma-Mncube, another daughter of Jacob Zuma, has also come forward with allegations against Xuma and Khoza, claiming she was driven by a moral obligation to expose what she perceives as a people trafficking scandal involving false promises and coercion. Meanwhile, a rival faction is accusing the trio of breaking laws related to human trafficking, providing assistance to foreign militaries, and fraud.
Russian forces have been accused of relying on coercion and deception to recruit fighters from various countries, including Africa and South Asia. Social media platforms are often used to lure people into fighting for Russia with promises of well-paid jobs.
The Ukrainian military has released videos of captured foreign fighters who claim they were deceived into joining Russian-backed forces. Meanwhile, North Korean soldiers have reportedly been sent by their government to fight in Ukraine.
South African authorities have confirmed that 17 men from her country are currently trapped in Ukraine and are working to bring them home. The investigation is still ongoing.
So this Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is saying she's trying to expose a people trafficking scandal but now everyone's accusing her of the same thing? 
Like what even is going on here? I mean, 8 of those recruited were from her own family?! 
That's just crazy. And these guys are literally fighting in Ukraine with no idea they're working for Russian mercenaries... that's just horrific. 
I don't know how much more false promises can be made before people start taking matters into their own hands, you feel? 
What's the deal with these social media platforms being used to lure people into fighting? Is it like a big recruitment scam or something? 
Duduzile's sister Duduzile & her friends were like " hey u get paid, go fight russians" 
and figure out how this happened in the first place. its wild that some ppl r already getting sent to Ukraine by their own governments 
. And now we're talking about people trafficking and human rights violations... it's just getting worse by the minute. I'm all for keeping our country safe, but this is a whole different story 
. What if these guys didn't even want to fight? What if they were just trying to make some cash or get out of SA? And now they're stuck in the middle of a war zone... no thanks! 
I'm all for holding people accountable, but let's not forget about the human cost here... it's too much 
also, why is south africa's government only just finding out about this now? shouldn't they've been paying attention to their own citizens getting dragged into another country's war? 
sources are gonna be key here, gotta see some concrete proof of these claims before i start believing them 
IT'S LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A MOVIE! DUDUZILE ZUMA-SAMBUDLA AND HER GIRLFRRIENDS THINK THEY CAN JUST MANIPULATE PEOPLE INTO JOINING THE MERCENARY FORCES AND THEN LEAVE THEM THERE? GIVE ME A BREAK!!! 
what's going on with Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and her friends? they're basically accused of lying to these guys from SA about getting them jobs, but it turns out they just got sent to fight for Russia... that's some crazy stuff. 
These guys are putting their lives on the line for fake promises of well-paid jobs 
. And now they're trapped on the frontlines with no idea what's going on 
. This whole thing just stinks 
.
...
i was watching this recipe vid on youtube last nite & it looks sooo easy but my mum's got like 10 hrs of cookin time down pat lol anyway what's w/ ppl joinin' merc forces without knowin the dealz? sounds super dodgy to me 
I think we need to scrutinize how our countries allow their citizens to be swayed into fighting in conflicts abroad. It raises questions about national security, our role in global conflicts, and the effectiveness of our law enforcement agencies. And what about the Russian mercenaries - are they just using tactics that are common to many conflict zones? 
This situation is a perfect example of how geopolitics can become personal when it comes to family ties... 
I can only imagine how scared and confused they must be right now, not knowing what's really going on or why they're being held captive. It's heartbreaking that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and her accomplices would do this to people who trusted them. 
... but think about it, this situation highlights the importance of online safety and critical thinking skills. These guys were lured into fighting for Russian-backed forces with promises of lucrative jobs 
. The fact that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is coming forward to expose her alleged accomplices shows that even when things seem dark, there are still people willing to take a stand and fight for what's right 
. The investigation will hopefully bring closure to these 17 men who were tricked into joining the war 
. Fingers crossed everything gets resolved and we can learn from this situation 
. This whole thing reeks of people trafficking and deception, it's disgusting 
anyway hopefully south african authorities can get these men outta there ASAP 
eight of the men allegedly recruited were even from her own family?! 
that's just heartless and cruel