Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla’s Defense Claims State Surveillance Preceded July Unrest Trial

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, appeared in the Durban High Court on Monday facing terrorism charges related to the July 2021 civil unrest that claimed 350 lives. Her legal team immediately raised questions about state surveillance practices, claiming authorities had been monitoring her activities long before the violence erupted.

Not Guilty Plea Entered Amid Supportive Gallery

Zuma-Sambudla, now an MP for the MK Party, pleaded not guilty to all charges of inciting violence through social media posts. Her father occupied a front-row seat in the public gallery, flanked by party supporters, as the high-profile trial commenced before Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa.

The state’s indictment contends the widespread unrest directly resulted from Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment for contempt of court after he refused to testify before the Zondo Commission investigating state capture. Prosecutors allege Zuma-Sambudla and other supporters used social media platforms to “organize, plan, incite, and coordinate violent incidents” in response to the court’s decision.

Intelligence Gathering Revealed in Testimony

Major-General Gopaul Govender, head of the Hawks and national coordinator for the unrest investigation, took the stand as the state’s first witness. His testimony revealed that Zuma-Sambudla had been designated a “person of interest” well before July 8, 2021, when violence erupted following her father’s incarceration.

Under examination by both prosecution and defense advocate Dali Mpofu, Govender acknowledged that after the Constitutional Court’s June 29 ruling mandating Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment, authorities initiated “intelligence gathering at a high level to monitor the temperature” across the country.

Social Media Posts Under Microscope

The prosecution focused particularly on Zuma-Sambudla’s social media activity during the critical period. With 124,000 followers at the time, she posted on June 30: “Comrades, the time to fight in this arena with the mobile phone is over.” Subsequent tweets called for intensifying the fight for radical economic transformation “on the outside,” accompanied by videos of violence captioned “we see you” and “I see you.”

Govender testified these phrases could be interpreted as endorsing the chaos unfolding across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. “It was, like, encouraging, appreciating and supporting it,” he stated, emphasizing that context and timing proved crucial since most burning, looting and murders occurred within the first 72 hours.

Defense Questions Basis of Charges

Advocate Dali Mpofu adopted a confrontational stance during cross-examination, questioning the fundamental basis of the charges. “What is dangerous about a tweet that says ‘we see you’ with a video of burning premises, which had already happened and had been shared widely on social media?” he challenged.

Mpofu characterized the state’s case as clutching at straws, arguing prosecutors had “drawn a blank” in initial investigations and were now relying on subjective “interpretation of her tweets.” He noted that he himself follows his client on social media and questioned whether that made him complicit in criminal activity.

Investigative Gaps Revealed

Despite the serious charges, Govender acknowledged under cross-examination that early investigation had cleared Zuma-Sambudla of direct links with looters. She hadn’t been present at crime scenes, her bank records showed no involvement in funding unrest, and she wasn’t directly participating in WhatsApp groups allegedly used to coordinate violence between high-level figures and “ground forces.”

The investigation did reveal that two of three Twitter accounts bearing her name were fake, and not all followers supported her messaging—some criticized her for allegedly “playing with people’s lives.” Govender also mentioned international connections to the violence originating from Cuba and unspecified financial support, though Zuma-Sambudla’s alleged involvement remains unestablished.

Prosecution’s Opening: A Case About “The Power of Words”

In his opening statement, state advocate Yuri Gangai framed the case as fundamentally about “the power of words.” He argued that Zuma-Sambudla, rather than using her platform to calm the nation, “showed no restraint” and deliberately chose to “fuel it from the comfort of her home” despite understanding the volatile situation.

The trial continues with the state expected to call cybercrime experts in the coming weeks, including Sarah-Jane Trent, executive director of Forensics for Justice, who initially filed the complaint with the Hawks.

Source: Original Article