Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla to Face Terrorism Trial in South Africa
The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, is set to go on trial this week on charges related to inciting violence through social media posts during the deadly unrest of 2021.
Zuma-Sambudla, 43, is accused of inciting terrorism and public violence under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, stemming from posts made during a week of anarchy in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces that left at least 300 people dead and caused an estimated $2.8 billion in damage. Prosecutors allege she used her social media platform, with over 100,000 followers at the time, to encourage further unrest following her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court. The trial is being closely watched as a test case for prosecuting individuals for online incitement during periods of civil unrest.
The state’s case centers on several dozen posts from July 2021, including one sharing a video of a burning vehicle transporter with the hashtag #FreeJacobZuma and the Zulu word “Amandla” – meaning power – alongside three fist emojis. Another post shared a call to “shut down” KwaZulu-Natal until her father was released, including the Zulu word “azishe,” which can mean “let it burn” or “let it proceed.” Zuma-Sambudla’s lawyer has described the state’s case as “weak,” and the accused herself appeared at a preliminary hearing wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “Modern Day Terrorist.” The unrest in 2021 exposed deep-seated social and economic inequalities within South Africa, and the government has struggled to hold perpetrators accountable.
The trial is expected to be highly politicized, with Zuma-Sambudla now a member of parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, founded by her father after he left the African National Congress. Experts suggest the charges may be politically motivated, with political science academic Prof Bheki Mngomezulu arguing, “If she wasn’t the daughter of the former president, chances are these charges would have been dropped a long time ago.” The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) acknowledged the case is “complex in nature” and required bringing in social media experts. You can find more information about the 2021 unrest here and about the NPA here.
The trial is scheduled to begin this week, and the NPA has stated it is confident in the case it has built, despite the challenges of proving intent and causation in social media posts.
