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The daughter of former South African Leader Jacob Zuma has pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges at the commencement of her trial in the harbor city of Durban.

The defendant, 43, is being tried over statements she made on online platforms several years back during fatal demonstrations in South Africa that came after the arrest of her dad.

A period of disorder in multiple regions of the country in mid-2021, including looting and fire-setting, left at least 300 killed and caused damage worth an approximate $2.8bn (£2.2 billion).

Zuma-Sambudla has been accused of inciting this unrest and confronts charges of provocation to commit terror acts and civil unrest.

Background of the Proceedings

The demonstrations were centered in the areas of Gauteng region and KwaZulu-Natal province and were triggered by the previous president's detention for ignoring a court order to give evidence at an investigation into allegations of graft while he was serving as president.

Ms Zuma-Sambudla has always denied the charges against her, with her lawyer in the past calling the state's legal argument as unsubstantiated.

She has also consistently claimed the allegations against her were an effort to settle political grievances with her dad after he established his own political organization and campaigned against the African National Congress.

Backing and Legal Defense

This was echoed by the Zuma foundation, which claimed the case was an "abuse of power" and a "systematic campaign" of "political and family-related targeting" against the previous head of state and his relatives.

A small number of backers from her political organization, her party, turned up outside the provincial high court, while her father and other party leaders were present at the hearings inside.

Her legal team has stated that the proof presented by the state is insufficient and fails to provide concrete evidence for a criminal finding.

Central Elements of the Trial

• Social media posts from the past form the foundation of the prosecution's evidence
• Violent demonstrations in recent years resulted in major casualties and financial damage
• The defendant faces multiple counts of provocation to public disorder
• Judicial proceedings are expected to proceed for numerous court sessions

The legal proceedings continues as all parties present their evidence before the judicial authority in what is anticipated to be a highly monitored judicial process with major politically charged ramifications for South Africa.