Brumelda Zuma, a daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has been sworn into parliament less than two weeks after her half sister stepped down. She joins the National Assembly as a representative of uMkhonto weSizwe, the opposition party her father leads.
Her half sister, Duduzile Zuma Sambudla, resigned following allegations that she had deceived seventeen South African men into travelling to Russia to fight as mercenaries in Ukraine. She has denied the claims. Brumelda Zuma’s appointment is widely seen as a sign that Jacob Zuma intends to maintain a family presence in parliament.
She was sworn in alongside three other MK members, whom the party described as bringing “experience and dedication” to their new roles. Brumelda Zuma said she planned to concentrate on improving public services, an area in which she holds a degree in public administration.
Unlike her half sister, Brumelda Zuma has not previously held a national profile. Zuma Sambudla had served in the Pan African Parliament and, according to MK, resigned voluntarily to focus on helping South Africans trapped in the war torn Donbas region.
Her resignation followed distress calls from South Africans aged between twenty and thirty nine, who had travelled to eastern Ukraine and become stranded after joining mercenary groups. One of the most prominent accusers was another half sister, Nkosazana Zuma Mncube, who filed a criminal complaint alleging that the men were lured to Russia under false pretences.
Police have confirmed an investigation is under way. Working as a mercenary or fighting for a foreign army without government approval is illegal under South African law.
Zuma Sambudla is also on trial on terrorism related charges linked to social media posts she made during the deadly unrest of 2021. She denies all accusations.
Jacob Zuma founded MK in 2023 after a major rupture with President Cyril Ramaphosa. The party came third in last year’s general election and became the main opposition after the second largest party joined Ramaphosa’s coalition government.