Jacob Zuma to Testify in Daughter's Incitement Trial
Durban – Former President Jacob Zuma is set to take the stand in defence of his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who is currently on trial in the Durban High Court on charges of inciting violence related to the deadly July 2021 civil unrest.
The unrest, which gripped parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, resulted in the tragic loss of more than 300 lives and had a devastating impact on the country's economy. Zuma-Sambudla, now a Member of Parliament for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), faces three counts of incitement to commit terrorism and two counts of incitement to commit public violence.
The State alleges that Zuma-Sambudla's social media posts during the unrest encouraged violent acts, contributing to the destruction of property, disruption of essential services, and widespread economic losses. She was arrested and formally charged in January, and her trial, which is expected to last for two weeks, commenced on Monday.
On Tuesday, Zuma-Sambudla's attorney, Advocate Dali Mpofu, informed the court of his intention to call Jacob Zuma as his first witness. Mpofu stated that Zuma would challenge the testimonies presented by the State witnesses and argue that his daughter's arrest was politically motivated.
Mpofu made the announcement during his cross-examination of the second State witness, Sara-Jane Trent, a former employee of forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan.
“My Lord, I will call President Zuma as my witness. He would dispute the testimonies that have been presented and prove that this case and his arrest were politically motivated,” said Mpofu, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic turn in the trial.
Zuma, along with other senior members of the MKP, has been present at the trial since it began on Monday. On Tuesday, they were joined by Ngizwe Mchunu, a former Ukhozi FM radio personality, further highlighting the political significance of the case.
Trent had earlier testified that she laid charges against Zuma-Sambudla out of fear that the violence unfolding in KwaZulu-Natal would spread to Johannesburg, where she resided. She alleged that Zuma-Sambudla, by posting videos of burning trucks and people blocking roads, coupled with messages such as #freeJacobZuma, incited public violence.
“My Lord, under these images, the accused wrote encouraging messages for people to continue what was happening. If this is not incitement of violence, I do not know what it is,” said Trent, during her testimony.
The prosecution team, led by Advocate Yuri Gangai, presented video clips of social media posts allegedly made by Zuma-Sambudla, including one from July 9, 2021, stating "Shut down KZN, Shut down roads, factories, shops and government #freeJacobZuma".
However, during cross-examination, Mpofu appeared to be dismantling Trent's testimony. He began by questioning Trent about her awareness of O’Sullivan's relationship with President Cyril Ramaphosa. Trent acknowledged that they knew each other but stated she was unsure whether they were friends.
Mpofu then asked Trent whether she would be surprised if people suggested that her association with O’Sullivan, who is allegedly a friend of Ramaphosa, meant that her laying of charges against Zuma-Sambudla was politically motivated. Trent conceded that she would not be surprised by such suggestions.
Mpofu further challenged Trent's assertion that Zuma-Sambudla was linked to the Gupta family. Trent had stated in her affidavit that Zuma-Sambudla was a beneficiary of the Gupta family and a director of one of their companies. Mpofu refuted this claim, and Trent did not dispute his assertion.
Mpofu also questioned Trent about a video depicting warriors chanting a war cry and moving towards a Spar grocery store during the unrest. He challenged her to prove that the clip demonstrated violence, as she had suggested in her affidavit. Trent had initially testified that the warriors stormed the shop; however, under cross-examination, she appeared to contradict herself and conceded that the people went past the shop without entering.
The defence is scheduled to continue its cross-examination of Trent on Wednesday. The trial is expected to continue to draw significant public attention, particularly with Jacob Zuma's anticipated testimony.
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