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The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, has pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges as her trial opened in Durban.
Zuma-Sambudla, 43, is accused of incitement to commit terrorism and public violence over social media posts made during deadly protests in July 2021, following her father’s arrest.
The unrest, which lasted a week across several provinces, including Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, left at least 300 people dead and caused an estimated $2.8 billion (£2.2 billion) in damage due to looting and arson.
According to BBC, the protests erupted after Jacob Zuma was jailed for defying a court order to testify in a corruption inquiry linked to his time in office.
Authorities allege that Zuma-Sambudla’s online comments helped fuel the violence.
Her legal team has consistently denied the charges, calling the case weak, while Zuma-Sambudla herself has claimed the prosecution is politically motivated.
She argues the charges are intended to punish her family after her father launched a new political party and campaigned against the African National Congress (ANC).
The Jacob Zuma Foundation echoed this view, describing the trial as an “abuse of power” and a “systematic campaign of political and familial harassment” against the former president and his family.
A small group of supporters from her party, uMkhonto weSizwe, gathered outside the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, while her father and other party leaders attended the proceedings inside.
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