The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma has been arrested and is expected to stand trial on terrorism charges, according to Africanews.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who is also a member of South Africa’s parliament, is accused of inciting violence during the July 2021 riots that left more than 350 people dead. She surrendered to police on Thursday to face charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, police spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo reported.
The arrest is as a result of a meticulous investigation by the Durban Crimes Against the State unit of the Serious Organized Crime Investigation, following the unrest that brought the country to a standstill in 2021.
The case against Zuma-Sambudla was based on her posts on X allegedly urging protesters to inflict more harm during the nationwide unrest that began after her father had been sent to prison.
Former president Zuma went to prison for ignoring a court order to testify in a corruption investigation. The enraged crowd then embarked on mass looting of shops, arson and destruction of property. In total, police arrested more than 5,000 people.
Jacob Zuma served as president from 2009 to 2018, but was forced to resign under pressure from the African National Congress party. This marked the beginning of an ongoing political feud between Zuma and incumbent president Cyril Ramaphosa.
