The Jacob Zuma Foundation has accused the State of “abusing its power” and “weaponising” the justice system against former president Jacob Zuma’s family, as the trial of his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, began on Monday at the Durban High Court.
Zuma-Sambudla, who appeared smiling as proceedings began, faces three counts linked to her social media activity during the July 2021 unrest, including incitement to commit terrorism and violence and contravening Section 17 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, which prohibits illegal gatherings intended to provoke riots.
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The State alleges that between June and July 2021, she unlawfully incited others to commit acts of terrorism, contributing to the widespread unrest that left over 300 people dead and caused billions of rand in damage, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma Foundation accuses State of ‘family persecution’
Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said the case formed part of a “systematic campaign of political and familial harassment” against the Zuma family, calling the charges “baseless and politically motivated.”
“For more than two decades, state institutions have been selectively mobilised to destroy President Zuma and those associated with him,” Manyi said. “Having failed to destroy the father and the son, the State has now turned its energies to the daughter.”
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He described her only “crime” as expressing solidarity with her father during his 2021 imprisonment, which the foundation still calls “unconstitutional.”
“The notion that impoverished communities were mobilised into action by Twitter posts is absurd,” Manyi said. “This is an attempt to criminalise freedom of speech and erase the language of resistance.”
The foundation labelled the prosecution “cruel and cowardly”, alleging it aims to “break a father by tormenting his offspring.” It urged South Africans to reject what it called an abuse of prosecutorial power.
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Zuma-Sambudla, now an MP for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), has denied the allegations, maintaining that her posts were “reactive commentaries” rather than calls to violence.
The trial, expected to run for two weeks, will test how South Africa’s courts interpret online speech and political expression during moments of national unrest.
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