Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, has quit parliament amid accusations that she lured 17 men to fight on Russia's side in Ukraine, her party said on Monday, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Zuma-Sambudla was a member of parliament for the opposition Umkonto we Sizwe (MK) party, led by her father. MK officials said she had resigned voluntarily and that her departure from the National Assembly and all other public positions was effective immediately.
Nati Nhleko, national organizer of the MK party, told reporters that the party had not been involved in recruiting the men to fight for Russia and that Zuma-Sambudla's resignation was not an admission of guilt, but added that MK would help support the men's families.
Zuma-Sambudla attended a press conference on the matter but did not speak or respond publicly to the allegations.
The South African government said this month that 17 of its citizens were stranded in the Donbas region of Ukraine after being tricked into fighting as mercenaries under the guise of lucrative employment contracts. It said it was working to repatriate them and investigating how they ended up there.