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Jacob Zuma's daughter pleads not guilty to terrorism charges in Durban trial
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, entered a not-guilty plea on Monday as her trial began in Durban over allegations of inciting terrorism and public violence during the deadly 2021 unrest.
Background: The 2021 unrest
The charges stem from social media posts Zuma-Sambudla made in July 2021, when widespread protests erupted following her father's arrest for defying a court order to testify at a corruption inquiry. The unrest, concentrated in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, resulted in at least 300 deaths and an estimated $2.8 billion in damages.
Political motivations alleged
Zuma-Sambudla, 43, has consistently denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. Her legal team previously dismissed the state's case as weak, while she has claimed the prosecution is retaliation against her father, who launched the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in opposition to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The Jacob Zuma Foundation echoed this, labeling the case an "abuse of power" and part of a "systematic campaign of political and familial harassment."
Courtroom and public reaction
A small group of MK supporters gathered outside the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, while Jacob Zuma and other party leaders attended the proceedings inside. The trial's commencement marks the latest chapter in the legal and political fallout from the 2021 violence, which remains one of South Africa's most destructive episodes of civil unrest in recent decades.
The state's case is built on flimsy evidence, and this trial is nothing more than a continuation of the persecution faced by the Zuma family.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's legal team (2023)
