Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, has voiced worries about travelling to Mozambique, where she was born, because of recent tensions linked to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
On her X account, she said she and her family are trying to finalise travel plans for a celebration but are now thinking about whether they could be at risk in a neighbouring country. She asked whether South African tourists might not be safe and whether vehicles with certain number plates could be targeted.
We Have Our Niece In Mozambique Celebrating Her Quinceañera This Coming Weekend And We Are Trying To Finalise Our Travel Arrangements. We Are Hit With Concerns And Reality Of Our Safety That We Have Never Really Had, That Our Neighbouring Countries MIGHT Retaliate On Any South…
— Dudu “Grenade” Zuma-Sambudla (@DZumaSambudla) June 28, 2026
Her comments drew strong criticism from many social media users, who accused her of being out of touch. Some pointed out that South Africans are dealing with their own safety concerns at home, while others said her worries about a holiday trip seemed insensitive given the broader issues around migration and crime.
Zuma-Sambudla was born in Maputo in 1982 while her father was in exile. She and her twin brother Duduzane spent much of their early childhood in Mozambique and later lived in Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa. She has previously said she did not grow up speaking isiZulu and described herself as a victim of apartheid for being unable to learn her mother tongue at home.
Her mother, Kate Mantsho, died in 2000, and one of her siblings passed away in 2018.