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The daughter of previous South African President Zuma has denied all charges to terrorism-related allegations at the beginning of her court case in the port city of the city of Durban.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43, is being charged over comments she posted on social media in the past during fatal protests in South Africa that followed the arrest of her father.

A week of anarchy in multiple regions of the country in July 2021, including plundering and arson, left at least 300 individuals killed and resulted in damage worth an approximate 2.8 billion dollars (£2.2bn).

Zuma-Sambudla has been accused of inciting this violence and is charged with accusations of provocation to commit terror-related activities and civil unrest.

Context of the Proceedings

The protests were focused in the provinces of Gauteng and KZN and followed the previous president's detention for disobeying a legal directive to give evidence at an inquiry into accusations of graft while he was serving as president.

She has always rejected the accusations against her, with her attorney earlier labelling the government's evidence as insufficient.

She has also frequently said the allegations against her were an effort to resolve political scores with her father after he started his own party and competed against the African National Congress.

Endorsement and Case Arguments

This was supported by the Jacob Zuma foundation, which said the proceedings was an "abuse of power" and a "coordinated attempt" of "political and familial persecution" against the ex-leader and his kin.

A handful of backers from her party, the political party, gathered outside the KwaZulu-Natal high court, while her father and other group representatives were present at the hearings inside.

The defendant's representatives has stated that the testimony presented by government lawyers is unconvincing and lacks compelling proof for a guilty verdict.

Central Elements of the Trial

• Social media statements from four years ago form the foundation of the state's argument
• Fatal protests in recent years resulted in major casualties and monetary losses
• The defendant is charged with multiple charges of encouragement to unrest
• Judicial hearings are projected to carry on for several court sessions

The legal proceedings continues as the prosecution and defense present their evidence before the judge in what is expected to be a closely watched legal battle with substantial politically charged implications for South Africa.