đź”— Share this article Daughter of Ex- South African Leader Jacob Zuma Denies Terror-Related Charges as Trial Starts Zuma-Sambudla has claimed that the state's case against her is lacking The child of previous South African Head of State Zuma has entered a not guilty plea to terror charges at the beginning of her trial in the coastal city of Durban. The defendant, 43 years old, is being charged over comments she posted on digital networks in the past during deadly unrest in South Africa that occurred subsequent to the arrest of her father. A week of chaos in various areas of the country in July 2021, including theft and fire-setting, left at least 300 individuals dead and caused damage worth an approximate 2.8 billion dollars (ÂŁ2.2 billion). She has been accused of fuelling this unrest and faces allegations of incitement to commit terror-related activities and public disorder. History of the Legal Matter The demonstrations were centered in the areas of Gauteng and KZN and were triggered by the ex-leader's apprehension for disobeying a court order to testify at an probe into claims of graft while he was holding office. Ms Zuma-Sambudla has always refuted the charges against her, with her lawyer previously calling the state's evidence as weak. She has also repeatedly stated the charges against her were an attempt to resolve political scores with her parent after he started his own party and ran against the African National Congress. Endorsement and Court Representation This was echoed by the Zuma foundation, which claimed the legal matter was an "misuse of authority" and a "coordinated attempt" of "politically motivated and kinship persecution" against the previous head of state and his kin. A small number of backers from her group, the political party, turned up outside the provincial high court, while her parent and other party leaders were present at the hearings inside. The defense has argued that the testimony presented by government lawyers is insufficient and lacks compelling grounds for a conviction. Key Points of the Case Online posts from four years ago form the core of the government's evidence Deadly demonstrations in July 2021 resulted in major fatalities and economic destruction The individual on trial faces multiple charges of provocation to unrest Court hearings are expected to continue for multiple court sessions The trial continues as all parties present their arguments before the judicial authority in what is anticipated to be a carefully observed court case with substantial political implications for South Africa.