Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) member of Parliament, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla is no longer intending to petition the National Director of Public Prosecution (NDPP), Advocate Shamila Batohi, to withdraw charges against her but said she is ready for trial.

This was revealed by her attorney Advocate Dali Mpofu SC after the pre-trial hearing at the Durban High Court on Thursday. Both the State and the defence said they were ready for the trial and the court date was set from 10 to 21 November. 

Sambudla-Zuma was arrested and charged in January. The state alleges that she was instrumental in fomenting deadly violence that left many people dead and paralysed the economy, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal in July 2021.

She faces three counts emanating from her social media posts during the civil unrest. Count one is incitement to commit the offence of terrorism, with the state alleging that between 29 June and July 2021, in various places within the country, the accused unlawfully and intentionally incited others to commit terrorism by engaging in terrorist activities.

On count two, which is an incitement to commit violence, the state alleges the accused incited, instigated, commanded  or procured other persons unlawfully assembling with common intent to forcibly disturb the public peace or tranquility or to invade the rights of other persons. On count three, the state also accuses her of violating Section 17 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, 17 of 1956 which deals with the illegal assembling of persons with the intention to cause a riot.

Wearing a black T-shirt with the words ‘Modern Day Terrorism Charges’, Zuma-Sambudla looked relaxed and smiled. Speaking after the postponement inside the court, Zuma-Sambudla said she still maintained that the charges against her were politically motivated, however, she was ready for trial.

“I still maintain that this case is politically motivated. I am in high spirit and ready for the trial. My party comrades and I are in and out of court because the system wants to punish us for supporting ubaba (Jacob Zuma), said Sambudla-Zuma.

At her last appearance in March she had indicated that she would fight for the dropping of charges.

During the pre-trial hearing, Mpofu read her admission that between June and July she had tweeted using her X account, which has more than 100,000 followers, during her father’s arrest.

However, she denies having incited anyone to cause violence. Her argument is that people who may have caused violence and looted did so out of their own anger over her father’s arrest in July 2021, not because they were incited by her tweets. 

Addressing the party’s supporters outside court, MKP KwaZulu-Natal provincial convener, Willies Mchunu said Zuma-Sambudla’s case was akin to the case of former UKhozi FM radio personality Ngizwe Mchunu, who was charged for posting ‘Ziyakhala’ (go for it) on social media, which later failed to prove that he incited violence.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

Source link