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The daughter of former South African Head of State Zuma has denied all charges to terror accusations at the commencement of her trial in the port city of the city of Durban.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43 years old, is being tried over statements she published on social media in the past during deadly unrest in South Africa that followed the apprehension of her parent.

A seven-day period of disorder in several parts of the country in mid-2021, including looting and fire-setting, left at least 300 killed and caused damage worth an projected $2.8bn (£2.2bn).

Zuma-Sambudla has been alleged of inciting this violence and faces charges of incitement to commit terror acts and public violence.

History of the Case

The protests were concentrated in the areas of Gauteng region and KwaZulu-Natal province and followed the former president's apprehension for ignoring a court order to testify at an probe into allegations of graft while he was in power.

She has consistently denied the accusations against her, with her attorney earlier labelling the prosecution's legal argument as insufficient.

She has also consistently said the accusations against her were an attempt to address political scores with her father after he started his own political party and campaigned against the African National Congress.

Endorsement and Court Representation

This was echoed by the Zuma foundation, which claimed the case was an "abuse of power" and a "organized effort" of "politically motivated and kinship harassment" against the ex-leader and his family.

A handful of backers from her group, the political party, appeared outside the provincial high court, while her parent and other organization officials were present at the proceedings inside.

The defense has stated that the testimony presented by prosecutors is unconvincing and fails to provide concrete proof for a conviction.

Main Aspects of the Trial

• Online posts from 2019 form the foundation of the government's evidence
• Fatal protests in July 2021 resulted in significant fatalities and monetary destruction
• The individual on trial is charged with multiple allegations of incitement to violence
• Judicial proceedings are expected to carry on for numerous court sessions

The legal proceedings continues as all parties present their cases before the judicial authority in what is expected to be a closely watched legal battle with substantial politically charged implications for South Africa.