Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, appeared in court on Thursday, facing charges of inciting violence during the deadly 2021 riots that left over 300 people dead.
Prosecutors accuse Zuma-Sambudla of using social media to encourage unrest in July 2021 after her father was jailed for defying a court order to testify in a corruption inquiry. What started as protests against Zuma’s imprisonment escalated into widespread looting, destruction of infrastructure, and an estimated 50 billion rand ($2.7 billion) in financial losses.
Accompanied by her father in court, Zuma-Sambudla pleaded not guilty and was released on a warning, with her next hearing set for March.
Since completing his contempt of court sentence in 2022, Jacob Zuma has thrown his support behind uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new political party that significantly disrupted last year’s national election. MK secured 58 parliamentary seats, contributing to the African National Congress (ANC) losing its outright majority and forming a coalition government.
Zuma-Sambudla currently serves as an MK lawmaker in the lower house of parliament.