Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of incitement to commit terrorism and public violence. The trial commenced in Durban, four years after social media comments she made during protests in July 2021.
The unrest in 2021 resulted in the deaths of over 300 individuals and caused an estimated $2.8 billion in damages across the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. These events followed the arrest of Jacob Zuma for non-compliance with a court order to appear before an inquiry into corruption allegations during his presidency.
Ms. Zuma-Sambudla, 43, has consistently denied the charges. Her legal representation has characterized the state's case as weak. She has also asserted that the charges represent an effort to settle political disagreements, particularly in light of her father's establishment of a new political party opposing the African National Congress (ANC).
The Jacob Zuma Foundation has issued a statement, describing the case as an "abuse of power" and a "systematic campaign of political and familial harassment" targeting the former president and his family. Supporters of the uMkhonto weSizwe party gathered outside the KwaZulu-Natal high court, while Jacob Zuma and other party leaders were present at the hearings inside.