SOUTH AFRICA · COURTS
Key Facts
- What happened On Friday, 6 November 2026, a Durban court refused to drop the charges against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla.
- The charges One count of incitement to commit terrorism and two counts of incitement to commit public violence.
- Her plea She pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent until the court rules otherwise.
- The link She is the daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, who leads the MK Party.
- What comes next The trial continues; the court will set new dates for the next stage.
The Zuma daughter terror trial goes on after a Durban court refused on Friday, 6 November 2026, to drop the case. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, denies inciting terrorism and violence during the July 2021 unrest.
Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court dismissed her request for an early end to the trial. The prosecution now keeps all three charges, and the trial now continues.
What the Court Decided
Her lawyers sought a discharge under section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which lets judges end trials once the state rests its case. Judge Mathenjwa had reserved his decision on Thursday, 29 October, after both sides argued the point.
On Friday he turned the request down, so the trial now continues with the state’s case intact. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KwaZulu-Natal, said: “So now that means the case must continue.”
The Charges Against Zuma-Sambudla
Prosecutors allege that she used social media after her father was jailed in 2021 to encourage the violence that followed. She faces one count of incitement to commit terrorism and two of public violence, all tied to unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
She pleaded not guilty when the trial opened in Durban on Monday, 10 November 2025. An allegation is not a finding, and the court has made no ruling on whether she is guilty.
What Happened in July 2021
The unrest began after Jacob Zuma was sent to prison for contempt of court, and it spread through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. A South African government news service later wrote that some 350 people lost their lives.
Prosecutors point to her posts on X, the social network, during those days. They say the posts amplified messages and images linked to the violence.
In Plain English, Who Is Who
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is the defendant and the daughter of Jacob Zuma, who was South Africa‘s president from 2009 to 2018. Her father leads the MK Party, a political party formed in 2023 that took part in Wednesday’s local elections.
Prosecutors work for the National Prosecuting Authority, or NPA, the state body that brings criminal cases. Dali Mpofu is her advocate, the title for a lawyer who argues in the High Court, and Mahendra Naidu is the senior prosecutor.
What Each Side Argued
Mpofu told the court that the state had not proved her posts were unlawful. He also said that incitement needs someone who was incited, and that many other people shared the same material without being charged.
Naidu argued that the posts must be read together rather than one by one. He said they grew more forceful over time until the unrest began, and that the state’s witnesses gave strong evidence.
What It Means for You
For readers in the United States, the case tests where a court draws the line between angry speech online and a crime. The same question reaches courts and social media companies well beyond South Africa.
The case also keeps a famous political family in the headlines while South Africa counts its local elections. Investors and travellers watching the country should expect a long legal process, not a quick result.
What Is Not Known
The next court date had not been publicly confirmed at the time of writing. Judge Mathenjwa and the lawyers for both sides will set the schedule when the case is called again.
No verdict is expected soon, and the judge alone can say when he will rule. He will only do so after both sides have finished presenting the case.
More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the case not dropped?
Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa found that the state’s evidence was enough for the trial to continue. The ruling came on Friday, 6 November 2026, after he reserved judgment on 29 October.
What is Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla accused of?
Prosecutors accuse her of inciting terrorism and public violence through social media posts during the July 2021 unrest. She pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent.
Is she guilty?
No court has found her guilty. Friday’s ruling only decided that the trial should continue, not that the charges are proven.
Who is Jacob Zuma?
Jacob Zuma was South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018 and now leads the MK Party. His 2021 imprisonment for contempt of court set off the unrest at the centre of this case.
Sources: KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Durban, ruling of Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa and National Prosecuting Authority comment in court, 6 November 2026; Presidency of South Africa, profile of former president Jacob Zuma; South African Government News Agency, report on the South African Human Rights Commission July 2021 unrest report, 29 January 2024.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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