Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, is facing trial in the Durban High Court for allegedly inciting public violence and terrorism through her social media posts during the July 2021 unrest. The 42-year-old is accused of using her verified X account (formerly Twitter) to post tweets and videos that encouraged violence, including one with the phrase “We see you”.
Prosecutors allege Zuma-Sambudla’s social media activity played a pivotal role in inciting the violence, which resulted in over 350 deaths and billions in economic damage. “The state argues that her actions were not merely expressions of political opinion but constituted direct calls for violence,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated. Zuma-Sambudla has pleaded not guilty, claiming her statements were misinterpreted and that she’s being targeted due to her lineage. “The fact that it has taken the NPA four years to bring these charges indicates a weak case,” she wrote on X.
The trial, expected to last two weeks, will scrutinize social media posts, witness testimony, and expert analysis. State prosecutor Yuri Gangai emphasized the state has a strong case, saying, “We need to know if the intention was not to incite public violence, then what was the reason for these posts?”.Social media law expert Emma Sadleir testified that Zuma-Sambudla should have been charged under the Cybercrimes Act for using social media platforms to foment violence. The case is still ongoing, more details will be provided as the case prevails.
