🔗 Share this article Child of Ex- South African Head of State Zuma Denies Terror Charges as Trial Commences Zuma-Sambudla has asserted that the prosecution's legal argument against her is lacking The daughter of previous South African President Jacob G Zuma has denied all charges to terror-linked accusations at the beginning of her court case in the coastal city of Durban city. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, forty-three, is being prosecuted over comments she posted on social media in the past during violent demonstrations in South Africa that followed the apprehension of her father. A week of chaos in several parts of the country in the summer of 2021, including theft and arson, left at least 300 dead and led to damage worth an approximate $2.8 billion (£2.2bn). The defendant has been charged of fuelling this turmoil and is charged with charges of incitement to commit terrorism and public disorder. History of the Proceedings The demonstrations were centered in the regions of Gauteng region and KwaZulu-Natal province and were triggered by the previous president's apprehension for disobeying a court order to appear as a witness at an probe into claims of impropriety while he was holding office. Ms Zuma-Sambudla has repeatedly denied the charges against her, with her legal representative earlier labelling the prosecution's case as weak. She has also consistently claimed the charges against her were an bid to resolve political scores with her parent after he established his own political party and campaigned against the African National Congress. Support and Court Representation This was echoed by the Jacob Zuma foundation, which claimed the proceedings was an "abuse of power" and a "organized effort" of "political and kinship targeting" against the former president and his family. A small number of followers from her group, uMkhonto weSizwe, appeared outside the KwaZulu-Natal high court, while her parent and other group representatives attended the proceedings inside. The defendant's representatives has argued that the proof presented by government lawyers is insufficient and does not have compelling grounds for a conviction. Key Points of the Legal Proceedings Social media posts from 2019 form the core of the prosecution's argument Deadly protests in 2021 resulted in major fatalities and monetary losses The individual on trial confronts multiple allegations of provocation to violence Judicial trials are expected to continue for numerous weeks The trial continues as all parties present their cases before the judge in what is anticipated to be a highly monitored judicial process with significant political ramifications for South Africa.