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The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma has entered a not guilty plea to terror accusations at the start of her court case in the port city of the city of Durban.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, forty-three, is being prosecuted over statements she made on social media four years ago during fatal protests in South Africa that came after the detention of her parent.

A week of disorder in several parts of the country in the summer of 2021, including plundering and fire-setting, left at least 300 individuals deceased and caused damage worth an approximate $2.8 billion (2.2 billion pounds).

The defendant has been charged of fuelling this unrest and confronts accusations of encouragement to commit terror acts and public disorder.

History of the Case

The unrest were focused in the provinces of the Gauteng province and KZN and came after the previous president's detention for defying a court order to appear as a witness at an inquiry into allegations of corruption while he was holding office.

She has always denied the accusations against her, with her lawyer previously describing the state's case as unsubstantiated.

She has also repeatedly said the allegations against her were an bid to settle political disputes with her dad after he founded his own party and competed against the ruling party.

Support and Court Representation

This was reinforced by the Zuma foundation, which said the legal matter was an "abuse of power" and a "coordinated attempt" of "politically motivated and family-related targeting" against the previous head of state and his relatives.

A small number of supporters from her group, the political party, turned up outside the provincial high court, while her dad and other organization officials participated in the proceedings inside.

Her legal team has argued that the proof presented by prosecutors is insufficient and lacks substantial evidence for a guilty verdict.

Key Points of the Case

• Digital posts from four years ago form the core of the government's evidence
• Violent demonstrations in recent years resulted in significant casualties and monetary losses
• The defendant is charged with multiple allegations of encouragement to public disorder
• Court proceedings are expected to carry on for multiple weeks

The legal proceedings continues as all parties present their cases before the judge in what is projected to be a highly monitored judicial process with substantial politically charged consequences for South Africa.