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The offspring of former South African President Zuma has pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related accusations at the start of her court case in the coastal city of Durban city.

The defendant, 43 years old, is being tried over comments she made on social media four years ago during deadly protests in South Africa that followed the arrest of her dad.

A week of disorder in various areas of the country in mid-2021, including looting and intentional burning, resulted in at least 300 deceased and led to damage worth an estimated 2.8 billion dollars (£2.2bn).

Zuma-Sambudla has been accused of inciting this unrest and is charged with accusations of incitement to commit terrorism and public disorder.

History of the Legal Matter

The demonstrations were focused in the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal province and were triggered by the ex-leader's detention for disobeying a judicial ruling to appear as a witness at an probe into accusations of graft while he was holding office.

Ms Zuma-Sambudla has always rejected the allegations against her, with her attorney in the past labelling the prosecution's evidence as weak.

She has also consistently claimed the allegations against her were an bid to address political disputes with her dad after he founded his own party and competed against the ANC.

Backing and Court Representation

This was reinforced by the Jacob Zuma foundation, which claimed the legal matter was an "misuse of authority" and a "systematic campaign" of "politically motivated and familial targeting" against the previous head of state and his relatives.

A few of followers from her party, the political party, gathered outside the judicial building, while her parent and other party leaders were present at the court sessions inside.

The defendant's representatives has stated that the proof presented by government lawyers is unconvincing and lacks concrete evidence for a conviction.

Central Elements of the Case

• Digital posts from four years ago form the basis of the state's argument
• Fatal unrest in recent years resulted in significant deaths and financial losses
• The accused faces multiple counts of provocation to public disorder
• Court hearings are anticipated to carry on for numerous court sessions

The trial continues as both sides present their cases before the judge in what is expected to be a closely watched legal battle with substantial politically charged consequences for South Africa.