đź”— Share this article Offspring of Previous South African President Jacob Zuma Refutes Terror Charges as Trial Begins Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has asserted that the government's case against her is unsubstantiated The daughter of previous South African President Jacob G Zuma has entered a not guilty plea to terror-linked charges at the start of her trial in the port city of Durban. Zuma-Sambudla, 43 years old, is being charged over statements she posted on social media in the past during deadly unrest in South Africa that came after the detention of her parent. A seven-day period of chaos in multiple regions of the country in mid-2021, including looting and fire-setting, caused at least 300 killed and led to damage worth an estimated 2.8 billion dollars (ÂŁ2.2 billion). She has been charged of fuelling this violence and is charged with charges of incitement to commit terror-related activities and public violence. Context of the Case The demonstrations were focused in the regions of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal province and came after the former president's apprehension for ignoring a court order to appear as a witness at an probe into claims of graft while he was in power. She has always denied the accusations against her, with her legal representative previously calling the state's case as weak. She has also frequently claimed the accusations against her were an attempt to resolve political grievances with her father after he started his own political organization and competed against the African National Congress. Support and Legal Defense This was echoed by the Zuma foundation, which stated the legal matter was an "abuse of power" and a "organized effort" of "politically motivated and familial targeting" against the former president and his family. A small number of followers from her group, uMkhonto weSizwe, appeared outside the judicial building, while her father and other group representatives were present at the hearings inside. Her legal team has argued that the evidence presented by government lawyers is insufficient and does not have substantial evidence for a guilty verdict. Key Points of the Legal Proceedings Social media posts from four years ago form the basis of the prosecution's evidence Fatal protests in recent years resulted in significant deaths and financial destruction The individual on trial faces multiple charges of provocation to violence Judicial proceedings are anticipated to carry on for numerous days The trial continues as both sides present their cases before the judicial authority in what is expected to be a highly monitored court case with major political consequences for South Africa.