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The child of previous South African Leader Zuma has entered a not guilty plea to terror accusations at the start of her legal proceedings in the coastal city of Durban.

The defendant, forty-three, is being charged over remarks she posted on online platforms several years back during deadly unrest in South Africa that came after the arrest of her dad.

A period of anarchy in multiple regions of the country in mid-2021, including theft and intentional burning, caused at least three hundred deceased and resulted in damage worth an estimated 2.8 billion dollars (£2.2bn).

Zuma-Sambudla has been charged of fuelling this unrest and faces allegations of provocation to commit terrorism and civil unrest.

History of the Legal Matter

The unrest were concentrated in the regions of the Gauteng province and KwaZulu-Natal province and came after the previous president's arrest for disobeying a legal directive to appear as a witness at an inquiry into allegations of impropriety while he was in power.

The defendant has repeatedly refuted the accusations against her, with her legal representative previously describing the government's legal argument as weak.

She has also repeatedly said the charges against her were an attempt to settle political grievances with her dad after he founded his own political organization and ran against the ruling party.

Endorsement and Court Representation

This was supported by the Jacob Zuma foundation, which claimed the legal matter was an "abuse of power" and a "organized effort" of "political and family-related persecution" against the previous head of state and his relatives.

A handful of supporters from her group, uMkhonto weSizwe, turned up outside the judicial building, while her dad and other party leaders attended the court sessions inside.

Her legal team has maintained that the proof presented by prosecutors is insufficient and fails to provide compelling grounds for a criminal finding.

Key Points of the Legal Proceedings

• Digital comments from 2019 form the core of the state's case
• Violent demonstrations in July 2021 resulted in significant fatalities and monetary destruction
• The defendant confronts multiple charges of encouragement to unrest
• Legal trials are projected to carry on for multiple weeks

The court case continues as the prosecution and defense present their evidence before the judge in what is expected to be a closely watched court case with significant politically charged ramifications for South Africa.