South Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit has launched a criminal investigation into a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma over allegations she recruited 17 South Africans to fight for Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine under the guise of bodyguard training.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, confirmed its Crimes Against the State unit is probing the case against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla following charges laid by her half-sister, Nkosazana Bongamini Zuma-Mncube, on 22 November.
Zuma-Mncube alleges that eight of her family members were among those sent to the frontlines in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Zuma-Mncube filed charges of human trafficking, fraud and violations of the Foreign Military Assistance Act against Zuma-Sambudla and two alleged accomplices, Siphokazi Xuma and Blessing Khoza.
She claims the recruits were misled through Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said it is exploring options to extract the South Africans from the combat zone.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office confirmed earlier this month that it had received distress calls from the group and ordered a formal investigation.
The scandal has embarrassed Jacob Zuma, who reportedly appealed to Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov to withdraw the South Africans from active combat.
JN/APA