By Siyanda Mthethwa
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has resigned from parliament amid allegations that she lured 17 men to fight for Russia in Ukraine, her party said on Friday.
Zuma-Sambudla was a lawmaker in the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) opposition party led by her father. MK officials said she resigned voluntarily and that her departure from the National Assembly and all other public roles was effective immediately.
Nathi Nhleko, MK party national organiser, told reporters MK was not involved in luring the men to Russia and that Zuma-Sambudla’s resignation was not an admission of guilt, but added that MK would help support the men’s families.
“The national officials have accepted comrade Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s decision to resign and support her efforts to ensure that these young South Africans are brought back safely to their families,” he said.
Zuma-Sambudla was present at the press conference but did not speak, and has not publicly responded to the accusations from her half-sister.
South Africa’s government said this month that 17 of its citizens were stuck in Ukraine’s Donbas region after being tricked into fighting for mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts. It said it was working to bring them home and investigating how they got there.
On Sunday, police said they would investigate Zuma-Sambudla after her half-sister made a formal request for the probe into her and two other people, accusing them of being involved.
More than 1,400 citizens from three dozen African countries are fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, Kyiv’s foreign minister said this month, urging countries to warn their citizens about recruitment.
(Reporting by Siyanda Mthethwa; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Alison Williams)
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