Former South Africa President Zuma’s daughter arrested on terrorism charges.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, has been arrested and is set to appear in court on Thursday, facing charges related to terrorism. Zuma-Sambudla, who also serves as a member of the South African Parliament, is accused of inciting violence during the violent unrest in July 2021 that resulted in the deaths of over 350 people.
Zuma-Sambudla voluntarily handed herself over to police on Thursday to face charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, as well as incitement to commit violence, according to police reports.
Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, a police spokesperson, explained that the arrest was the result of a thorough investigation conducted by the Durban Crimes Against the State unit of the Serious Organized Crime Investigation. This investigation followed the unrest that brought the nation to a halt in 2021. "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,” Mbambo said.
Zuma-Sambudla’s political party confirmed that she will appear in court on Thursday. The charges against her are linked to posts she allegedly made on Twitter (now known as X), in which she is said to have urged protesters to escalate the violence during the national unrest that began after her father was imprisoned.
Jacob Zuma was incarcerated after defying a court order to testify before a corruption inquiry, sparking widespread public anger. This anger led to mobs engaging in looting, arson, and property destruction, resulting in over 5,000 arrests. The riots, which lasted more than a week, are regarded as some of the most severe unrest South Africa has experienced since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Zuma-Sambudla is accused of encouraging these violent actions in support of her father. However, an investigation into the riots later suggested that they were also fuelled by widespread frustration and poverty exacerbated by South Africa's harsh COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Jacob Zuma, who served as president from 2009 to 2018, was forced to resign after pressure from the African National Congress (ANC) party over corruption allegations. His resignation sparked an ongoing political feud between him and his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa. Zuma was expelled from the ANC last year and now leads a new political party, the MK Party, which became the official opposition following the national elections last year.
Zuma-Sambudla, now a prominent member of the MK Party, has also become one of its leading lawmakers. The party has been rallying its members to support her during her appearance at the Durban Magistrates Court, located in KwaZulu-Natal, a region where Jacob Zuma enjoys significant backing. Media reports indicate that police are on high alert in Durban.
The charges against Zuma-Sambudla come nearly four years after the riots, following a lengthy forensic investigation. However, she has long been accused of inciting some of the unrest through her social media activity.
“She has conditioned herself, because there have been many threats about her imminent arrest for the past three or four years,” said MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela. “She is awaiting and she will abide by the law as a law-abiding citizen.”
