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The child of former South African Head of State Jacob G Zuma has denied all charges to terrorism-related accusations at the start of her legal proceedings in the harbor city of Durban.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, 43 years old, is being tried over remarks she published on digital networks in the past during fatal unrest in South Africa that followed the apprehension of her parent.

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

She has been charged of encouraging this unrest and confronts allegations of encouragement to commit terror acts and public violence.

History of the Legal Matter

The demonstrations were focused in the provinces of the Gauteng province and KwaZulu-Natal and came after the ex-leader's arrest for disobeying a legal directive to testify at an probe into claims of corruption while he was holding office.

She has always refuted the accusations against her, with her attorney earlier calling the prosecution's legal argument as unsubstantiated.

She has also repeatedly stated the allegations against her were an effort to address political grievances with her father after he started his own political organization and competed against the ruling party.

Support and Case Arguments

This was reinforced by the Jacob Zuma foundation, which stated the case was an "misuse of authority" and a "coordinated attempt" of "political and familial targeting" against the previous head of state and his relatives.

A small number of supporters from her party, her party, appeared outside the judicial building, while her father and other party leaders attended the proceedings inside.

Her legal team has maintained that the evidence presented by prosecutors is unconvincing and lacks compelling grounds for a conviction.

Key Points of the Trial

• Social media statements from the past form the core of the prosecution's argument
• Deadly protests in recent years resulted in major casualties and economic losses
• The accused is charged with multiple counts of encouragement to unrest
• Legal trials are projected to continue for numerous days

The trial continues as the prosecution and defense present their arguments before the judge in what is expected to be a closely watched court case with major political consequences for South Africa.