The Jacob G. Zuma Foundation has condemned what it calls the “political persecution” of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla.
In a statement on Sunday, the Foundation said Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma and a Member of Parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, faces trial on “baseless and politically motivated” terrorism charges.
The Foundation’s remarks come as Zuma-Sambudla’s trial, stemming from the July 2021 unrest, is set to begin at the Durban High Court on Monday.
Zuma-Sambudla faces charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act (POCDATARA) and incitement to commit violence linked to the unrest that swept through parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in 2021.
‘WEAPONISING THE JUSTICE SYSTEM’
The protests followed the former president’s arrest for contempt of court.
The Foundation said the charges form part of a long-standing campaign to “weaponise the criminal justice system” against Zuma and his supporters.
“What we are witnessing is not justice but a systematic campaign of political and familial harassment against the former President, his children, and all who have stood firm in defending his legacy,” the Foundation said.
Allegations against Zuma-Sambudla include claims that she incited the violence through her social media posts.
The Foundation dismissed these, saying her posts were “reactive commentaries to events already unfolding.”
“It defies logic to claim that impoverished communities, many without access to food, smartphones or data, were mobilised into action by Twitter posts,” it said.
Zuma-Sambudla’s tweets included a poster calling for the “shutdown” of KwaZulu-Natal, including “roads, factories, shops and government”, until her father was released. She also used the slogans “Amandla!” (meaning “power”) and “Azishe!” (meaning “let it burn”).
The Foundation said the criminalisation of liberation-era slogans was deeply problematic.
“The use of liberation-era slogans such as ‘Amandla!’ and ‘Azishe!’, words deeply rooted in South Africa’s struggle history, cannot and must not be perverted into acts of terrorism,” it said.
‘A COMPLEX CASE’
Zuma-Sambudla handed herself over at Durban Central police station in January before she was arrested and processed.
She was released on warning as the matter transferred to the Durban High Court.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga said at the time the case was “complex” because it was the first time the NPA had charged someone based on content shared on social media.
“It’s a unique and complex case in that reliance on the investigation and evidence is based on social media posts.
It’s a technical investigation where some of the parts of the investigation had to be outsourced in terms of experts on social media because SAPS doesn’t have an expert in social media,” Mhaga said.
