Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a politician and daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, has pleaded not guilty to charges of incitement to commit terrorism and public violence linked to the deadly 2021 riots.
Her trial began on Monday in Durban and is the first prosecution in South Africa to bring terrorism-related charges based on social media posts. Prosecutors allege Zuma-Sambudla played a central role in encouraging the unrest through online activity.
The violence followed Jacob Zuma’s July 2021 surrender to police to begin a 15-month sentence for contempt of court after he refused to appear before a commission probing extensive corruption known as “state capture.” He served about two months, largely in a prison hospital wing, before being released under a presidential decision affecting certain non-violent offenders.
His jailing triggered widespread riots in Gauteng, home to Johannesburg, and in KwaZulu-Natal, whose capital is Durban. More than 350 people were killed and the economy suffered severe damage, marking one of the worst episodes of domestic unrest since the end of apartheid.
Prosecutors say 164 WhatsApp groups were created to coordinate the 2021 disturbances and that Zuma-Sambudla “intentionally and unlawfully encouraged the public to act in acts of violence under the guise of freeing Jacob Zuma from incarceration.” She denies the accusations. At a preliminary hearing she wore a T-shirt reading “Modern Day Terrorist,” a satirical response to the charges.
Zuma-Sambudla followed her father when he left the African National Congress in 2023 to form uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), a party named after the ANC’s former armed wing. She has become a close ally, was elected to the national assembly on MK’s ticket in last year’s election, and was born in Mozambique while her father was in exile.
In court on Monday she appeared relaxed and smiled; her father attended to support her. The Jacob Zuma Foundation dismissed the prosecution as selective targeting of the family. Mzwanele Manyi, a foundation representative, said state institutions have long been used to “destroy President Zuma and those associated with him,” arguing her social media posts were reactive commentary on events as millions expressed anger over the imprisonment of a liberation figure.
The commission of inquiry’s probe into state capture focused largely on the Gupta family, three wealthy brothers accused of securing lucrative government contracts and exerting undue influence, including alleged involvement in ministerial appointments.
