Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla appeared in good spirits as day one of her trial got underway at the Durban High Court on Monday.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) Member of Parliament stands accused of inciting violence through social media posts linked to the July 2021 unrest.
The court, joined by a crowd of Zuma-Sambudla’s supporters, including her father, former President Jacob Zuma, heard that over 100 WhatsApp group chats were allegedly used to plan the unrest.
TRIAL UNDERWAY
State witness, Hawks Major General Gopaul Govender, took the stand and was cross-examined by Advocate Dali Mpofu. Govender testified that while Zuma-Sambudla was not part of the WhatsApp groups, many participants were her followers on X. Mpofu countered that being a follower is not a crime, noting that he is also one of them.
The MK Party Member of Parliament faces charges of incitement to commit violence and terrorism for her Tweets during the unrest following her father’s 2021 arrest. In opening statements, the state said it would prove Zuma-Sambudla “intentionally and unlawfully” urged the public to act violently under the pretext of freeing Zuma. Zuma-Sambudla pleaded not guilty to all charges.
JZ FOUNDATION SAYS TRIAL IS BASELESS
Meanwhile, the Jacob G Zuma Foundation has denounced the trial as a “renewed abuse of state power.” It described the case as “baseless and politically motivated,” saying her only offense was expressing solidarity with her father during his “unconstitutional imprisonment” in 2021.
The Foundation argued that the State’s case relies on the “bizarre premise” that her posts sparked unrest, calling them “reactive commentaries.” It added that it was illogical to claim impoverished communities without access to food, smartphones, or data were mobilised by X posts. The trial is expected to continue for two weeks.
