ZUMA DAUGHTER IN DOCK: COURTROOM DRAMA AS RIOT TRIAL HEATS UP
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla returned to the Durban High Court on Monday as her explosive trial tied to the deadly July 2021 unrest resumed, reigniting national attention on one of South Africa’s darkest episodes.
The daughter of former president Jacob Zuma stands accused under terrorism laws, with prosecutors alleging her social media posts acted as a “call to action” that helped spark widespread looting and violence. The unrest left more than 300 people dead and caused billions in damage across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Tuesday’s proceedings focused on crucial digital evidence, as social media law expert Emma Sadleir returned to the stand. Defence advocate Dali Mpofu pressed hard in cross-examination, questioning whether the posts some deleted but later recovered can be directly linked to the हिंसा that followed Zuma’s imprisonment.
Zuma-Sambudla, who has pleaded not guilty, denies any wrongdoing. With no major rulings yet, the high-stakes case continues this week, as the court grapples with whether online words can be held responsible for real-world chaos.