MK Party leaders and supporters have played down the terrorism charges against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, saying they are a political ploy designed as payback against her father, former president Jacob Zuma.
Zuma-Sambudla appeared in the Durban magistrate’s court on Thursday facing charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act and incitement to commit violence during the July 2021 riots.
The violence broke out following Zuma's arrest for violating a Constitutional Court order to appear before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry. More than 350 people died during the riots.
Zuma-Sambudla’s first court appearance was marked by a heavy MK Party presence including Zuma, her twin brother Duduzane, Floyd Shivambu (secretary-general), Nombuso Mkhize (deputy secretary-general), Nkosinathi Nhleko (chairperson), Nhlamulo Ndhlela (spokesperson) and KZN chairperson Willies Mchunu.
It was also attended by about 200 supporters who braved the heat to watch proceedings from a stage outside the court.
Magistrate Irfaan Khalil released Zuma-Sambudla on warning and the matter was transferred to the high court to be heard on March 20.
Addressing supporters outside the court, Zuma asked what his daughter had done.
“We have just been to court yet we still cannot figure out what case is levelled against Duduzile.”
Zuma played down the social media messages allegedly posted by Zuma-Sambudla.
Zuma-Sambudla faces charges of incitement to commit terrorism and two counts of incitement to commit public violence using social media posts leading up to and during the July 2021 riots.
As per the indictment the state also claims she incited, instigated or procured people to “unlawfully assemble with common intent to forcibly disturb the public peace and invade the rights of other persons”.
The state also alleges she unlawfully and intentionally spoke words or published messages in which it was “reasonably expected that the natural and probable consequence of her speech would be the commission of public violence”.
The state built its charges on posts in which she would point out a location which had been looted or destroyed with a comment: “We See You!”
“One day you will be arrested for saying, 'I see you.’ What is wrong with that statement, anyway? Duduzile is being charged for using those same words.”
Zuma said it was the South African judiciary, including former chief justice Raymond Zondo, who should bear responsibility for the unrest. He said they arrested him unfairly, which made people rise up against that decision, resulting in the riots.
He also reflected on his own brushes with the law from his days as a freedom fighter, adding that even under the apartheid regime he had never been arrested “without a reason” until that fateful July of 2021.
Those sentiments were shared by other MK Party leaders, including Shivambu.
He said the “fearless ground forces of South Africa” had demonstrated “legitimate action” against the conduct of the state when Zuma was arrested “unlawfully”.
“In observing that... Duduzile correctly said, ‘I see you, comrades.’”
“For that reason, the government of Ramaphosa employs 15 prosecutors to investigate a case against her and four years later they come back to say she must be held responsible for saying, ‘I see you,’ while South Africa has so many unresolved cases of corruption and wrongdoing,” said Shivambu.
“Fifteen people with legal qualifications are going to investigate just a sentence of ‘I see you.’”
He said this was a continuation of what the state had started “many years ago” of “trying to suppress the revolutionary politics of president Jacob Zuma and what he represents”.
“They are doing all these things because they realise that Duduzile is also an ideological daughter who has reproduced herself in terms of determination, focus, radicalism and the spirit of no surrender, no retreat, and the spirit of not collaborating with a white capitalist establishment.”
Bonginkosi Dlamini, MK Party member in eThekwini, said they believe Zuma-Sambudla is being “persecuted” and the charge she is facing is “not what the court should be entertaining”.
He said they did not support Zuma-Sambudla because she is the daughter of their party leader, but because she is a leader in her own right.
“They will not succeed, we will follow the correct channels and not respond in the way they want us to. The reaction of MK will never be dictated to by any provocation.”
Siyabonga Nene, an MK Party regional leader in Umlazi, questioned the timing of the charges, saying the matter had occurred in 2021 and Zuma-Sambudla had not been charged even when more than 60 others were arrested until she was an MK Party MP.
He said he believed this was done to discredit the party in the eyes of the public leading up to the 2026 local government elections.
“We understand as MKP the fight we’re faced with: we are living with a justice system that is compromised because it is used is a pawn to settle political scores.”
“They want to paint a picture that MKP and its values are unreasonable. They want to make it seem like the MKP is not representing the aspirations of society, but a Zuma family thing. That must be very clear: we didn’t join Zuma, we joined MKP.”
“They have been persecuting Zuma for 30 years and failed, and now they are chasing anything that involves the Zuma family. The unrest is the responsibility of every one of us. We believe that the Zuma family has been a target for years and now they want to align the activeness of MKP to Zuma.”
He said neither Zuma-Sambudla nor Zuma himself had the influence to make people react the way they did during the riots.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.