DURBAN, 3 November 2025– The daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma‑Sambudla will stand trial from 10 to 21 November for her purported involvement in the major civil unrest of July 2021.

Zuma-Sambudla is due to appear in the Durban High Court where she faces charges of incitement to commit terrorism and incitement to commit public violence. According to the prosecution, the charges relate to the widespread looting and damage to public infrastructure across KwaZulu-Natal and the Gauteng provinces during the July 2021 unrest.

Prosecutors allege that Zuma-Sambudla used social media to encourage the unrest, posting videos of looting with the caption “We see you.”

The period of unrest was triggered when Jacob Zuma was imprisoned for contempt of court, which sparked widespread protests and looting.

The regional office of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal confirmed the trial date.

Duduzile Zuma‑Sambudla, who is also a Member of Parliament for the uMkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP), has denies-guilt-on-public-violence-and-terror-charges/">denied the allegations and argued that her social media posts were not intended to incite violence.

Observers say the trial will test the reach of state prosecutions in cases of incitement via social media, particularly when tied to politically-charged unrest in South Africa. Critics argue that the complexity of online communication and intent make proof challenging. Supporters of Zuma-Sambudla claim the charges are politically motivated given her family background and party affiliation.

As the trial date approaches, attention will focus on how the court handles evidence of online posting, the context of the unrest, and whether the prosecution can link the alleged posts directly to violent acts. The outcome may have broader implications for how South Africa addresses social media’s role in incitement, public violence and the enforcement of counter-terrorism laws.