Questions have been raised about the relationship that former president Jacob Zuma with the government of Russia,
This comes after his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has been accused of luring 17 young South African men to fight on behalf of the Kremlin.
These men, who include some of her relatives, have been accused of dumping them in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine conflict without their consent.
They were told that they are being sent to Russia to train as body guards.
On Friday, the MK Party said Duduzile’s father has reached out to the Russian authorities in a bid to secure the group’s safe return.
Zuma a ‘Russian asset’
On Saturday, The Citizen spoke to political analyst Andre Duvenhage to understand the MK Party’s involvement with Vladimir Putin’s government.
“We know there is a very long historic relationship between Jacob Zuma and the Kremlin to an extent that some people are arguing that he is a Russian asset.
“They are talking about an asset as in a secret agent working on their behalf now that means working on their behalf/
“Now I have no doubt that from a historical time, a time of the struggle they developed a relationship and it is clear to me that this relationship is continuing,” he said.
Notable links to Russia
Duvenhage said there are notable signs over the years of the strong bond that Zuma has with Russia,
“There was a time that Zuma became very sick, he did not go to an American hospital or a European hospital he went to Russia, so clearly there is a strong relationship.
“Secondly there are strong indications that the MK Party is getting financial support from Russia we need to ask a question, where did the MK Party get their money towards to build up of the 2024 elections.
“The other side of the story is that Russia has been in this war with Ukraine for the last three years they have lost around a million people and the war is gaining prominence and it is touching the lives of ordinary people in Russia.
“The Putin regime is extremely sensitive to what is going on in the Cities that are Moscow, St Petersburg, and a few others. They do not want to mobilise people for them, the war in Ukraine is a special military operation, so they do not have the right to mobilise people on a grand scale for military purposes. This can happen in terms of an official war, so the problem is that they have run out of human capital.
“What reports are showing us is that 24 states are now recruiting places where the FSB is recruiting people to help with the war in Ukraine, that is how those 17 people ended up in that region in Ukraine,” said Duvenhage.
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Father-daughter relations
Duvenhage says his understanding of the matter is that Zuma-Sambudla was just helping her fathers’ close associates.
“While this whole mercenary thing is playing out, she is on trial in KwaZulu-Natal for the July unrests so right now her position is very sensitive and complicated but what is clear is that she seems to be her father’s right-hand woman,” Duvenhage said.
Criminal charges
The DA’s spokesperson on defence and military veterans, Chris Hattingh reported Zuma-Sambudla to the police for recruiting South Africans in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
In his affidavit seen by The Citizen, Hattingh said: “It is my belief that the information currently in the public domain, and as set out above, constitute sufficient evidence for the SAPS to investigate possible contraventions by Ms Zuma-Sambudla, and others involved in the matter, of the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act 15 of 1998 (“the Act”) and/or any other law.
“In terms of section 2 of the Act: Prohibition on mercenary activity No person may within the Republic or elsewhere recruit, use, or train persons for or finance or engage in mercenary activity.
“In terms of section 3 of the Act: Rendering of foreign military assistance prohibited. No person may within the Republic or elsewhere—(a) offer to render any foreign military assistance to any state or organ of state, group of persons or other entity or person unless he or she has been granted authorisation to offer such assistance in terms of section. (b) render any foreign military assistance to any state or organ of state, group of persons or other entity or person unless such assistance is rendered in accordance with an agreement approved in terms of section.”
Zuma-Sambudla’s sister Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube has also laid criminal charges against her sister.
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