Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a politician and daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has pleaded not guilty to incitement to commit terrorism and public violence over deadly riots in 2021. The trial, which began on Monday in Durban, is the first in South Africa where terrorism charges are based on social media posts.
The riots erupted in July 2021 after Jacob Zuma was jailed for 15 months for contempt of court. More than 350 people were killed in what was considered the worst unrest since the end of apartheid. Prosecutors accuse Zuma-Sambudla, 43, of playing a key role in inciting the violence through social media activity, including coordinating 164 WhatsApp groups.
Zuma-Sambudla has denied the allegations. At a preliminary hearing, she wore a T-shirt reading “Modern Day Terrorist” as a satirical retort. Her father attended court to support her. A representative of the Jacob Zuma Foundation claimed the case was a targeted prosecution of the family, stating that her posts were reactive commentaries, not incitement.
