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The offspring of ex- South African Leader Zuma has entered a not guilty plea to terrorism-related accusations at the commencement of her trial in the port city of Durban.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43 years old, is being tried over remarks she published on digital networks several years back during violent demonstrations in South Africa that followed the detention of her dad.

A week of chaos in multiple regions of the country in July 2021, including theft and arson, left at least three hundred killed and caused damage worth an approximate $2.8bn (2.2 billion pounds).

Zuma-Sambudla has been charged of inciting this turmoil and faces accusations of incitement to commit terror acts and civil unrest.

Context of the Case

The unrest were focused in the areas of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and came after the previous president's arrest for defying a court order to give evidence at an investigation into accusations of corruption while he was holding office.

She has repeatedly rejected the charges against her, with her lawyer previously calling the prosecution's case as insufficient.

She has also frequently stated the charges against her were an bid to resolve political grievances with her father after he established his own party and ran against the African National Congress.

Endorsement and Court Representation

This was echoed by the Jacob Zuma foundation, which said the legal matter was an "abuse of power" and a "systematic campaign" of "politically motivated and kinship targeting" against the former president and his family.

A few of supporters from her party, the political party, appeared outside the KwaZulu-Natal high court, while her father and other organization officials were present at the court sessions inside.

Her legal team has stated that the evidence presented by government lawyers is insufficient and does not have concrete grounds for a conviction.

Central Elements of the Legal Proceedings

• Social media posts from the past form the basis of the prosecution's case
• Deadly protests in July 2021 resulted in significant deaths and monetary destruction
• The accused is charged with multiple allegations of incitement to unrest
• Legal trials are expected to carry on for numerous court sessions

The legal proceedings continues as both sides present their cases before the judge in what is expected to be a closely watched court case with substantial politically charged implications for South Africa.