Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, has pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting violence during the July 2021 riots that left more than 300 people dead.
Zuma-Sambudla appeared at the Durban High Court on Monday for the first day of her trial, where prosecutors accused her of using social media posts to encourage unrest and acts of violence following her father’s imprisonment.
The 2021 riots broke out after Jacob Zuma was jailed for contempt of court for refusing to testify at a corruption inquiry. The violence quickly spiraled into looting and destruction across several provinces, resulting in estimated financial losses of about 50 billion rand (approximately $2.9 billion).
Former President Zuma, who led South Africa from 2009 to 2018, was present in court to support his daughter, accompanied by members of his political movement, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). The MK party played a significant role in last year’s national elections, where it drew support away from the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
The trial is expected to explore the influence of social media during the unrest and assess Zuma-Sambudla’s role in the events that shook South Africa in 2021.
