Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has entered a not-guilty plea as her high-profile criminal trial opened in Durban on charges linked to South Africa’s 2021 civil unrest.
Prosecutors accuse the 43-year-old of using social media posts to encourage violence and public disorder after her father’s arrest in July 2021. That week of upheaval, which was concentrated in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, saw widespread looting, arson and attacks on infrastructure — resulting in at least 300 deaths and causing an estimated $2.8bn (about £2.2bn) in economic losses. Economists later described it as the deadliest unrest in democratic South Africa’s history.
Zuma-Sambudla is charged with incitement to commit terrorism and incitement to public violence. She has consistently denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly claimed the charges are politically motivated, alleging that the case is part of a broader attempt to punish her father, who has since formed his own political party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).
State prosecutors, however, insist her online activity contributed to the scale and spread of the unrest — arguing that influential personalities, including political figures, played a role in the coordination and momentum of the violence.
Outside the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Zuma-Sambudla received public backing from her father and a small group of MK party supporters who attended proceedings. The trial will continue in the coming weeks as the court assesses the strength of the state’s evidence against her.
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Source:Africa Publicity
