'I stand with Russia' — Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla hails Putin amid Ukraine

 invasion

Kyle Zeeman
Digital Editor
25 February 2022 -

Former president Jacob Zuma's daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambundla got tongues wagging with her comments on Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Image: Thapelo Morebudi/Sunday Times

Former president Jacob Zuma's daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has made her allegiance clear in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, praising Russian president Vladimir Putin and calling him “president of the world”.

Ukraine said more than 100 Ukranian military and civilians were killed and there were more than 800 Russian casualties on the first day of an invasion of that country on Thursday.

Tensions that have been brewing for years boiled over this week when Putin formally recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Putin claimed the move was to “protect” the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine and said there was a need to “demilitarise” the country. Ukraine said it was an “act of war”.

Attacks from Russia on several Ukranian cities by air, land and sea followed as the West scrambled to impose harsher sanctions on Putin and his country.

As South Africans flooded social media to debate our country's potential involvement in the conflict, Zuma-Sambudla shared images of Putin.

“We see you and we salute you leadership. Amandla,” she captioned one picture, while calling Putin “president of the world” in another.

She took shots at President Cyril Ramaphosa and the SA National Defence Force, saying they should leave the conflict alone or risk being embarrassed.

She was slammed by many on social media who called her an “attention seeker” and told her to “put down the wine and go to sleep”.

Others claimed she was looking to invite Putin to a "Nkandla tea party".