Duduzile Zuma on trial for ‘being her father’s daughter’ – Zuma Foundation

by Staff Bona

The Jacob Zuma Foundation has come out strongly in defence of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, describing her prosecution as a “political witch-hunt” aimed at silencing those associated with former president Jacob Zuma.

Duduzile, who is now an MP for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, appeared in the Durban High Court on Monday facing charges related to terrorism and public violence.

The charges stem from her alleged role in the July 2021 unrest that swept through KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng following her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court.

The Foundation said it “notes with deep concern the renewed abuse of state power in the continued persecution of President Zuma’s family,” adding that Duduzile’s upcoming terrorism trial is “nothing more than a political project dressed up as a legal process.”

The Foundation’s spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, said the state was using the criminal-justice system as a weapon to destroy those close to Jacob Zuma.

“For more than two decades, state institutions have been selectively mobilised to destroy President Zuma and those associated with him. Having failed to destroy the father and the son, the state has now turned its energies to the daughter — a loyal and outspoken pillar of strength in her father’s life.”

He said the case against Duduzile was baseless and rested on social-media posts that were taken out of context. “The State’s case rests on a bizarre premise: that her social-media posts during July 2021 somehow ‘incited’ unrest. In truth, her posts were reactive commentaries on events already unfolding.”

The Foundation questioned how ordinary people could have been “mobilised by tweets” when many communities affected by the unrest had no access to smartphones or data.

“It defies logic to claim that impoverished communities, many without access to food, smartphones, or data, were mobilised by Twitter posts. This is yet another desperate attempt to link the Zuma name to chaos.”

Mzwanele also criticised the state’s interpretation of Duduzile’s language online, saying slogans like “Amandla!” and “Azishe!” were part of South Africa’s struggle vocabulary, not calls for violence.

“The use of liberation-era slogans cannot and must not be perverted into acts of terrorism. These are historical rallying cries of freedom, not terrorism.”

He went further to say the case represents the lowest point in democratic governance since 1994. “History will record this as another low point in the misuse of state institutions to persecute the innocent for political expediency. Ms Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is not on trial for any crime — she is on trial for being her father’s daughter.”

The Foundation said it would continue to expose “the hypocrisy and bias” within the justice system, insisting that the charges were part of a broader strategy to silence voices linked to Jacob Zuma.

“South Africa’s democracy cannot flourish while its institutions are used as instruments of revenge. The persecution of the Zuma family must come to an end.”

First published by African Insider

Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele

Also see: Duduzile Zuma rebrands herself ‘Modern Day Terrorist’ in latest court appearance