Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla wants the Durban High Court to drop her unrest case before she has to mount a defense. Jacob Zuma's daughter plans to seek a discharge over claims that her online posts urged violence and terrorist acts during South Africa's deadly riots.
She denies both charges. Prosecutors accuse her of using social media to stir up the chaos, but her lawyers plan to argue that the state has failed to prove its case.
The trouble began after Jacob Zuma went to jail for contempt of court. He had refused to face a panel that was probing graft, which led to a 15-month prison term. Protests in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng then grew into riots, with shops looted, buildings burned, and more than 300 deaths.
At the hearing, police officer Bheki Nazo gave evidence that may help the defense. His team checked Zuma-Sambudla's bank and phone data but found no proof that she sent cash to riot groups or had direct contact with them.
Nazo leads a unit that probes major crimes in KwaZulu-Natal. His team had tried to find links between her finances, calls, and people tied to the disorder. Those checks did not turn up the ties investigators sought.
But the officer did not accept claims that politics drove the case. Defense lawyer Dali Mpofu pressed him on whether police had tried to hurt the Zuma family. Nazo rejected that idea and stood by his view that her posts had urged harmful acts.
A former police language expert also gave evidence on the meaning of one online post. Zuma-Sambudla's team has since raised doubts about whether some state witnesses have added much to the case.
The former uMkhonto weSizwe Party lawmaker had also faced trouble within her political ranks. She left Parliament after police charged her and later faced a move to expel her from the party over internal disputes.
Her bid for discharge will test whether prosecutors have brought enough evidence to justify a defense. A win would clear her of these charges at this stage. If the judge rejects it, the trial can move ahead, and her legal team may have to answer the state's claims.
For the moment, no court has found Zuma-Sambudla guilty. The case remains open, and the burden of proving the charges rests with the prosecution.
She denies both charges. Prosecutors accuse her of using social media to stir up the chaos, but her lawyers plan to argue that the state has failed to prove its case.
The trouble began after Jacob Zuma went to jail for contempt of court. He had refused to face a panel that was probing graft, which led to a 15-month prison term. Protests in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng then grew into riots, with shops looted, buildings burned, and more than 300 deaths.
At the hearing, police officer Bheki Nazo gave evidence that may help the defense. His team checked Zuma-Sambudla's bank and phone data but found no proof that she sent cash to riot groups or had direct contact with them.
Nazo leads a unit that probes major crimes in KwaZulu-Natal. His team had tried to find links between her finances, calls, and people tied to the disorder. Those checks did not turn up the ties investigators sought.
But the officer did not accept claims that politics drove the case. Defense lawyer Dali Mpofu pressed him on whether police had tried to hurt the Zuma family. Nazo rejected that idea and stood by his view that her posts had urged harmful acts.
A former police language expert also gave evidence on the meaning of one online post. Zuma-Sambudla's team has since raised doubts about whether some state witnesses have added much to the case.
The former uMkhonto weSizwe Party lawmaker had also faced trouble within her political ranks. She left Parliament after police charged her and later faced a move to expel her from the party over internal disputes.
Her bid for discharge will test whether prosecutors have brought enough evidence to justify a defense. A win would clear her of these charges at this stage. If the judge rejects it, the trial can move ahead, and her legal team may have to answer the state's claims.
For the moment, no court has found Zuma-Sambudla guilty. The case remains open, and the burden of proving the charges rests with the prosecution.
