Former South African President Jacob Zuma’s daughter pleaded not guilty Monday to terrorism charges related to the 2021 unrest in the country.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla appeared at the Durban High Court in KwaZulu-Natal on November 10, where several prominent members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, including her father and former eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede, who faces corruption charges, attended in support.
The 43-year-old member of Parliament maintained her innocence, describing the charges as politically motivated and part of a broader effort to silence critics of the state.
Live Africa News previously reported that Zuma-Sambudla faces charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, known as POCDATARA, and for incitement to commit violence linked to the July 2021 unrest, one of the deadliest and most destructive episodes in South Africa’s democratic history.
She first appeared before the Durban Magistrate’s Court in January 2025, when she was released on warning after surrendering to authorities. The case was later transferred to the High Court for trial.
The charges stem from the July 2021 riots and looting that erupted after the jailing of her father, former President Jacob Zuma, for contempt of court. The violence, which began in Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal and spread to Gauteng, left more than 300 people dead and caused an estimated 50 billion rand ($2.7 billion) in economic losses.
Authorities allege that Zuma-Sambudla used social media to encourage violent acts and mobilize unrest, though she has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and analysts insist the state’s case against Zuma-Sambudla is weak.
