A daughter of South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma, Brumelda Zuma, has been sworn in as a Member of Parliament (MP). Her appointment comes less than two weeks after her half-sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, was forced to step down.
Brumelda Zuma took her oath on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, representing the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which is led by her father and serves as the main opposition in parliament.
Brumelda’s elevation to parliament follows a dramatic exit by her half-sister, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla.
Zuma-Sambudla resigned amid serious allegations that she had tricked 17 South African men into becoming mercenaries for Russia in the war with Ukraine. She has denied the accusations.
Brumelda’s sudden appointment suggests former President Zuma is keen to maintain his family’s representation within the opposition party he founded.
Brumelda Zuma was sworn in alongside three other MK members. The party stated that the new members “bring a wealth of experience and dedication” to the legislature.
Unlike her half-sister, Brumelda has not previously held a national profile. However, she plans to focus her parliamentary efforts on public services.
She holds a degree in Public Administration, and she aims to ensure South Africans have “good public services” because, as she said, “that is what I studied.”
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla resigned as allegations surrounding her role in a Russian mercenary recruitment scheme intensified.
The situation became public after the South African government received distress calls from over a dozen citizens who had joined mercenary forces.
The men, aged between 20 and 39, are reportedly trapped in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Under South African law, fighting for a foreign army or working as a mercenary requires government authorisation.
In Zuma-Sambudla’s Defence, she claimed in a statement that she believed the men were travelling to Russia for “lawful” training.
One of Zuma-Sambudla’s most prominent accusers is her half-sister, Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, who filed a criminal complaint. She accused Zuma-Sambudla of luring the men under false pretences. Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
Zuma-Sambudla is also currently facing a separate trial related to terrorism charges over social media messages posted during the deadly 2021 protests. She denied the charges.
Former President Jacob Zuma launched the MK party in 2023 following a bitter fallout with current President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The MK party secured third place in South Africa’s general election last year and became the country’s main opposition after the second-largest party joined a coalition government led by Ramaphosa.
