After his daughter was expelled from the party he founded… What is the future of the influence of Jacob Zuma’s family? | news

The opposition Spear of the Nation party in South Africa expelled the daughter of its leader and former President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma Sambudla, along with MP Nhlamulu Ndlela, in a move that the party described as confirmation that it is “not a family fund,” and opened the door to questions about the future of the Zuma family’s political influence within the organization founded by the head of the family before the 2024 general elections.

The party’s Secretary-General Sibonelo Nomvalo announced the decision last Thursday, saying that the duo had undertaken “a series of actions, public statements and activities” that conflict with the constitutional obligations of party members and leaders, activities that “undermined the unity, discipline and cohesion of the organization,” according to what was reported by the Daily Maverick newspaper.

Nomvalo explained that Zuma Sambudla made public statements and repeated posts on social media that “undermined the authority of the party’s leadership and led to rifts” within it, while in Ndlela’s case he referred to an unauthorized press conference he held in May that led to his removal from the position of party spokesman. According to the same newspaper, the two were also blamed for an incident that preceded the death of MP Muzi Ntshingila on the fourth of this month following an illness. Nomvalo said that they had transferred the sick MP to a medical facility without the knowledge of his family, and had ignored explicit orders not to attend his funeral and to refrain from making public statements about his death.

The Secretary-General stressed that these actions constituted a “direct disregard” for the organization’s authority, adding that the step aims to stop the narrative that the party has turned into a “family fund.”

A record of controversy

According to Daily Maverick, Zuma Sambudla’s path within the party was marked by controversy. In 2025, she was charged with “incitement to violence” based on social media posts before the riots that took place in the country in July 2021, leaving more than 300 people dead. The newspaper reported that the KwaZulu-Natal District High Court in Durban considered that her publications “played a role” in the riots, and that the prosecution accuses her of using her account on the “X” platform to “incite, encourage and support acts of violence,” and Zuma Sambudla has pleaded not guilty.

The newspaper also indicated that Zuma Sambudla was accused in the same year of involvement in recruiting more than 12 men who were sent to Russia to participate in the Ukraine war, and she resigned from her parliamentary seat after criminal charges were brought against her.

Daily Maverick added that members of the party accused Zuma Sambudla of benefiting from nepotism and varying disciplinary standards, as she published insulting comments about former Secretary-General Floyd Shivambu without facing disciplinary measures. Shivambu was dismissed from his position in mid-2025.

I don’t blame my father

For her part, Zuma Sambudla and Ndlela announced that they would appeal the expulsion decision before the judiciary, describing it as “illegal and politically motivated,” and that they would demand in writing that they be returned to the party before resorting to the Supreme Court, according to what the eNCA network reported.

In statements reported by The Citizen newspaper, Zuma Sambudla said that she does not hold her father responsible for what happened, adding: “I do not feel that he betrayed me,” and that she has not discussed the expulsion decision with him yet. Jacob Zuma was reportedly present in Johannesburg on the day the decision was announced.