Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, entered a not-guilty plea on Monday to charges that she encouraged violence during the July 2021 unrest that left more than 300 people dead.
The riots erupted after Jacob Zuma was jailed for defying a court order to testify at a corruption inquiry, and quickly spiralled into looting and arson. Damage from the turmoil was estimated at 50 billion rand ($2.9 billion at today’s rates).
Appearing at the Durban High Court for the first day of her trial, Zuma-Sambudla is accused of urging others to commit violence through social media posts. Her father — president from 2009 to 2018 and still a galvanizing figure — attended the hearing alongside members of his uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party.
MK was a major disruptor in last year’s national election, helping drive a steep decline in support for the African National Congress, which Jacob Zuma once led.