A daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma has been implicated in a Russian recruitment network accused of luring African nationals into the Russian military, following revelations about a 25-year-old Botswana man who was killed fighting in Ukraine.

The I Want to Live project, which encourages foreign fighters serving in the Russian military to surrender to Ukrainian forces, claims Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was involved in establishing a recruitment network that allegedly persuaded 17 people, including Botswana nationals, to travel to Russia.

In a post on X, the project detailed the alleged recruitment of Botswana citizen Pako Namogang, who travelled from Johannesburg to Moscow in July 2026 before signing a contract to serve in the Russian army.

Namogang was subsequently deployed to fight in Ukraine, where he was killed during clashes near Novolyubivka in the Luhansk region in August, according to the project.

The post, which cited information allegedly recovered from Namogang’s phone and documents, claimed he had been recruited through a WhatsApp group called “Work in Russia”.

According to the project, a Russian recruiter used the group to seek people willing to join the Russian military, with Namogang responding to the offer.

The project further alleged that Russia’s trade representation in South Africa assisted with processing documents and transferring recruits while identifying Elizaveta Sergeevna Savinovskikh and Mikhail Sergeevich Petrushenko as the alleged intermediaries who coordinated the recruitment of Namogang and other Africans.

After arriving in Moscow, Namogang reportedly signed a military contract at the Unified Military Recruitment Centre on Yablochkova Street, where the project’s post identified Senior Lieutenant A.V. Levykin as the official who handled his paperwork.

The recruits were then allegedly housed at Avangard, a Russian centre for military-patriotic education, where instructors provided training before they were deployed to the battlefield.

The I Want to Live project argued that using civilian infrastructure for military purposes raised concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law.

Namogang was reportedly killed during fighting near Novolyubivka in the Luhansk region. His phone and documents subsequently came into the possession of Ukrainian intelligence, which the project said provided information about the alleged recruitment network.

Growing concerns over African recruitment

The case adds to concerns about African nationals travelling to Russia after receiving employment offers and subsequently finding themselves involved in military operations in Ukraine.

While some recruits are alleged to have been deceived about the nature of the work, others have reportedly signed military contracts voluntarily.

The I Want to Live project urged foreign nationals serving in the Russian military to surrender to Ukrainian forces, arguing that captivity offered them the best chance of survival.

The project said it accepted applications from people of all nationalities, ethnic backgrounds and religions.

The circumstances surrounding Namogang’s recruitment and death, as well as the allegations against the individuals named in the post, could not be independently established from the information provided.