Audio By Carbonatix
The daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, will be charged for her alleged involvement in the 2021 riots that left over 300 dead, her father's party uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) says.
Violence, chaos, and fear ripped through the port city of Durban, then spread to Gauteng, after Zuma's jailing sparked intense protests over four years ago.
Zuma-Sambudla, a controversial figure in her own right, was accused of sharing incendiary social media posts that fuelled the civil unrest.
MK, of which she is a senior member, said on X she would appear in a Durban court on Thursday and urged supporters to "mobilize all ground forces to attend in numbers."
While she has not commented directly on the charges, Zuma-Sambudla shared a cryptic note on X that simply said: "We see you."
This is not the first time her name has been brought up in connection to the 2021 riots, which are considered one of the bloodiest episodes in post-apartheid South Africa.
Zuma resigned as president in 2018 after nine years in office, plagued by corruption allegations, which he claimed were part of a political conspiracy.
Three years later, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after refusing to testify before a panel investigating corruption under his presidency.
Protests erupted after he surrendered to serve his sentence.
During the unrest, Zuma-Sambudla was outspoken on X, frequently sharing images of the destruction and chaos, accompanied by the caption: "KZN, we see you."
She used this phrase often throughout the violence. In a now-deleted post, she shared a video of someone firing an automatic rifle at a poster of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In 2022, a spokesperson from the elite police unit, Hawks, Brig Thandi Mbambo told local media they were not directly investigating her, but she had been named in statements from sources.
In response to this, Zuma-Sambudla said on X, "I have no fear! I will not be intimidated! I have beaten the dogs, now the masters are coming out! We see you!"
At the same time, the Jacob Zuma Foundation said in a statement the former president's children were being targeted.
Last year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) released a report that said the riots were a "carefully orchestrated event".
But it said it could find no direct link to Zuma's arrest.
In 2023, a former security guard was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the deadly riots.
He was the first person to be prosecuted for the riots.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who succeeded Jacob Zuma in 2018, described the violence as an "attempted insurrection".
More than 200 shopping malls were looted and more than 150,000 jobs were estimated to have been lost during the unrest, which lasted for several days.
Last year, Zuma's MK ran against his former party, the ANC, in elections, gaining 15% of the vote to become the country's third-largest party.
Latest Stories
-
Police seek diplomatic help to contact US woman who alleged kidnapping by masked officers
12 minutes -
Police arrest four students over Wa Technical Institute riot
21 minutes -
GACC urges stronger youth action in Ghana’s fight against corruption
25 minutes -
Ghanaian journalists trained on cross-media collaboration at SputnikPro seminar
29 minutes -
GTA and GoldBod offer visitors Gold as part of December festivities
30 minutes -
Ghanaian journalists trained on cross-media collaboration at SputnikPro seminar
33 minutes -
Energy Ministry says PURC’s 9% tariff increase needed to protect utilities and fund power investments
1 hour -
African governments urged to adopt Australia-style social media delay for children
1 hour -
Energy Ministry hits back at Minority, says 9% tariff hike modest compared to their 27%
1 hour -
Nyindam says he will consult party, constituents before deciding on Kpandai re-run
2 hours -
Kpandai chiefs urge President Mahama to intervene in election rerun dispute Â
2 hours -
Underfunding and GH¢12bn arrears crippling education delivery – Ntim Fordjour
2 hours -
I am not troubled; we didn’t cheat – Nyindam responds as Kpandai poll heads for re-run
2 hours -
Investment in data production strengthens governance – Deputy Finance Minister
2 hours -
High Court ruling on Kpandai will stand unless overturned by Supreme Court- Berekum West MP
3 hours
