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The offspring of former South African Leader Zuma has pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related accusations at the start of her court case in the coastal city of Durban.

Zuma-Sambudla, 43, is being prosecuted over comments she posted on social media in the past during deadly demonstrations in South Africa that occurred subsequent to the arrest of her father.

A week of anarchy in various areas of the country in mid-2021, including theft and arson, left at least 300 killed and resulted in damage worth an projected $2.8bn (£2.2bn).

Zuma-Sambudla has been charged of fuelling this unrest and confronts accusations of encouragement to commit terror-related activities and civil unrest.

History of the Case

The demonstrations were focused in the provinces of the Gauteng province and KwaZulu-Natal province and were triggered by the former president's arrest for disobeying a court order to appear as a witness at an probe into claims of graft while he was serving as president.

Ms Zuma-Sambudla has repeatedly refuted the allegations against her, with her legal representative previously describing the prosecution's case as insufficient.

She has also consistently stated the accusations against her were an attempt to address political disputes with her dad after he established his own party and campaigned against the African National Congress.

Backing and Court Representation

This was echoed by the Zuma foundation, which said the legal matter was an "misuse of authority" and a "systematic campaign" of "politically motivated and family-related harassment" against the former president and his family.

A handful of followers from her political organization, the political party, turned up outside the KwaZulu-Natal high court, while her dad and other organization officials participated in the proceedings inside.

The defendant's representatives has stated that the testimony presented by the state is unconvincing and does not have substantial evidence for a criminal finding.

Key Points of the Case

• Digital comments from the past form the core of the state's argument
• Violent unrest in July 2021 resulted in substantial casualties and monetary losses
• The individual on trial is charged with multiple counts of provocation to violence
• Judicial proceedings are expected to proceed for several weeks

The legal proceedings continues as all parties present their evidence before the court in what is expected to be a carefully observed court case with major political ramifications for South Africa.