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The daughter of previous South African Leader Jacob G Zuma has pleaded not guilty to terror-linked charges at the beginning of her court case in the coastal city of Durban city.

Zuma-Sambudla, 43 years old, is being prosecuted over comments she posted on social media in the past during fatal demonstrations in South Africa that occurred subsequent to the arrest of her dad.

A seven-day period of anarchy in various areas of the country in the summer of 2021, including plundering and intentional burning, left at least three hundred dead and resulted in damage worth an approximate 2.8 billion dollars (2.2 billion pounds).

She has been accused of inciting this unrest and is charged with allegations of encouragement to commit terror acts and public disorder.

History of the Case

The demonstrations were concentrated in the areas of the Gauteng province and KwaZulu-Natal and came after the former president's arrest for ignoring a legal directive to testify at an inquiry into allegations of corruption while he was holding office.

Ms Zuma-Sambudla has repeatedly denied the allegations against her, with her lawyer previously labelling the prosecution's evidence as weak.

She has also repeatedly stated the accusations against her were an effort to resolve political scores with her father after he started his own political party and ran against the ANC.

Endorsement and Legal Defense

This was reinforced by the Zuma foundation, which stated the proceedings was an "abuse of power" and a "systematic campaign" of "political and family-related targeting" against the ex-leader and his family.

A small number of followers from her political organization, the political party, gathered outside the KwaZulu-Natal high court, while her father and other group representatives were present at the hearings inside.

The defense has argued that the proof presented by government lawyers is inadequate and fails to provide compelling proof for a conviction.

Key Points of the Legal Proceedings

• Social media posts from four years ago form the basis of the state's evidence
• Fatal protests in 2021 resulted in significant casualties and economic destruction
• The defendant faces multiple counts of incitement to public disorder
• Court proceedings are expected to continue for multiple weeks

The legal proceedings continues as the prosecution and defense present their arguments before the court in what is expected to be a highly monitored legal battle with major political consequences for South Africa.