
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, is set to face charges related to her alleged role in the deadly 2021 riots that resulted in over 300 deaths.
The violence, which erupted in response to Zuma’s imprisonment, saw widespread chaos, particularly in Durban and Gauteng, as protests spiralled into anarchy.
Zuma-Sambudla, a controversial figure and senior member of the uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) movement, is accused of inciting unrest by sharing provocative posts on social media that fueled the violence. She is expected to appear in a Durban court this Thursday January 30, with MK calling on supporters to rally in large numbers to show their backing.
Although Zuma-Sambudla has yet to comment on the charges directly, she recently posted a cryptic message on social media saying, “We see you,” sparking further attention. Her involvement in the 2021 riots is not the first time she has faced scrutiny, as she was previously mentioned in investigations into the unrest, which is regarded as one of the most violent episodes in post-apartheid South Africa. The riots, initially sparked by her father’s incarceration, saw looting, the destruction of property, and significant loss of life, with more than 200 shopping malls looted and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. Despite the South African Human Rights Commission’s findings that the violence was a “carefully orchestrated event,” no direct link to Zuma’s arrest was established, though tensions surrounding his family remain high.