Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla Faces Trial on Terror Charges Amid Political Controversy

Sun Nov 09 2025 08:48:43 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, embarks on a historic trial for incitement related to the 2021 unrest, with claims of political motivations underlying the charges.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is set to go on trial this week in South Africa on terrorism-related charges stemming from her social media activity during the violent protests in 2021. The case is significant as it marks the first time someone has been prosecuted under anti-terrorism laws for social media posts in South Africa. Prosecutors allege that her actions contributed to the unrest that led to widespread violence and destruction, while she claims the charges are an attempt to target her father politically.

A new chapter in South Africa's long-running Zuma saga is set to begin with the 43-year-old daughter of the former president due to go on trial this week on terrorism-related charges.

In what is believed to be a first for the country, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is being prosecuted over what she wrote on social media four years ago during deadly protests.

Jacob Zuma's nine-year presidency, littered with controversies, came to a halt in 2018 amid extensive graft allegations - all denied.

Then in 2021 he was jailed for failing to show up at a corruption inquiry, triggering protests and the worst scenes of violence since before the start of the democratic era in 1994.

A week of anarchy in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, including looting and arson, left at least 300 people dead and caused an estimated $2.8bn (£2.2bn) in damage.

Prosecutors allege Zuma-Sambudla played a central role in stoking this unrest.

This unique trial will be a chance for the state's legal team to prove its mettle in successfully prosecuting cases related to the 2021 unrest, but the accused sees it as an attempt to settle political scores with her father.

He is now an opposition leader after leaving the African National Congress (ANC) and joining a rival party, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).

In 2021, she was outraged by his incarceration and posted images from the looting, allegedly inciting her 100,000 social media followers to continue the mayhem.

Zuma-Sambudla is accused of incitement to commit terrorism under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, alongside charges of incitement to commit public violence.

She has denied the charges, describing the state's case as unsubstantiated, and wore a shirt ironically branded Modern Day Terrorist during a procedural hearing.

Several dozen posts from July 2021 on what was then known as Twitter are central to the state's case against her. Key tweets included video of a vehicle ablaze during the protests, and calls to shut down operations in KwaZulu-Natal until her father's release.

Political analysts argue the charges are politically motivated, suggesting that if she were not Jacob Zuma's daughter, the charges may have been dropped long ago.

The case is expected to garner extensive public interest as part of the ongoing narrative surrounding the Zuma family's political influence and challenges in post-apartheid South Africa.