Africa-Press – Zambia. Jacob Zuma Foundation condemns upcoming trial of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla as political persecution
The Jacob Zuma Foundation has issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it calls the “renewed abuse of state power” against former President Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, ahead of her trial scheduled for tomorrow at the Durban High Court.
The foundation alleges that Zuma-Sambudla faces politically motivated charges of terrorism, incitement to public violence, and related offenses stemming from her social media posts during the July 2021 unrest in South Africa. Those riots erupted following former President Zuma’s imprisonment for contempt of court, resulting in more than 350 deaths and billions of rand in damage.
“The State’s case against Ms Zuma-Sambudla rests on a bizarre premise: that her social media posts somehow ‘incited’ unrest,” the statement reads. It claims her posts were reactive commentary during a period when millions of South Africans were expressing anger over her father’s imprisonment. The foundation argues that the charges represent an attempt to “criminalise freedom of speech and suppress political expression,” pointing to liberation-era slogans such as “Amanda!” and “Azishe!” as part of South Africa’s historical struggle lexicon.
The statement also references the prior legal battles of Zuma-Sambudla’s brother, Duduzane Zuma, highlighting failed prosecutions related to alleged “state capture” and a car accident, portraying these cases as part of a long-standing campaign against the Zuma family.
Prosecutors, however, maintain that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s posts were linked to the violent unrest of July 2021 and argue that her trial could set a legal precedent for social media accountability in incitement cases.
The trial of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is scheduled to commence tommorow, 10 November 2025, placing South Africa once again at the center of a high-profile legal and political debate involving the Zuma family.
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