Latest news with #DuduzileZumaSambudla
The Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla to face the music for role in July 2021 unrest
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla will face the music for her role in the July civil unrest when her terrorism trial begins in November. Zuma-Sambudla, 42, daughter of former president and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma, is facing charges under the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Act and incitement to commit violence during the July 2021 riots. She handed herself over at the Durban Central police station in January, where she was arrested and processed. She was released on warning. On Thursday Zuma-Sambudla appeared briefly as judge Mluleki Martin Chithi certified the matter trial-ready. National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the case was postponed for the trial, which will be held in the Durban high court from November 10 to 21. TimesLIVE
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Duduzile Sambudla-Zuma to stand trial in November over July 2021 unrest
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla appeared in the Durban High Court on Thursday 14 August in connection with the unrest and public violence that occurred in July 2021, in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo supplied by the National Prosecuting Authority) Former president On Thursday, she appeared at the Durban High Court, where her matter was certified as trial-ready. In a statement, National Prosecuting Authority ( The 2021 unrest was sparked by the former president's arrest following the Zuma had defied a court order which compelled him to appear before the Zondo commission of inquiry for his alleged involvement in state capture. More than 300 people were killed in the riots, the vast majority of them criminals who died while fighting over stolen goods, In an affidavit read out by her legal representative During the unrest, Sambudla-Zuma would post 'We See You' on X, accompanied by images and videos of the destruction. She said it was 'plainly nonsensical and petty' to suggest that people were influenced into violence by the posts. 'The mere fact that it has taken the state almost four years to work out where a few social media messages constitute 'terrorism' speaks for itself as an indication that the NPA is clutching at straws with a very weak case,' her affidavit read. She said that there was no evidence linking her to the riots and that she would be pleading not guilty to the schedule six charges brought by the state. She also accused the NPA of malicious prosecution, saying she was being used by the state to 'settle political scores' because of her father. 'They are aimed at settling political scores with my father, by the current regime,' Zuma Sambudla said of the charges against her.
Russia Today
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Western media demonizes Russia – Zuma's daughter
Pan-African Parliament representative Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has dismissed Western criticism of Russia as deliberate propaganda. In an interview with RT, Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, said Western narratives deflect from what she described as efforts to 'rescue the world from unnecessary issues from the West.' 'They [Western news outlets] are just trying to make Russia an enemy, and I don't think that is correct,' she said. Zuma-Sambudla also criticized the continued military and political interference by Western powers across Africa, calling it a major obstacle to regional stability and self-reliance. Citing recent developments in West Africa and the Sahel, she described the withdrawal of French forces from countries such as Senegal as involuntary. 'They didn't pull out, they were asked to leave,' she said, arguing that this reflect a growing desire among African nations to 'resolve African problems alone,' free from external influence. 'We always have interference. And interference is actually what makes the problems even bigger.' Asked whether South Africa should continue to value its relationship with the US, Zuma-Sambudla questioned why it is still seen as a strategic partner. She noted that South Africa's liberation movement once asked the US for assistance during the Apartheid era, but received no support, in contrast to Russia, which provided aid. 'We [South Africans] cherish the Russian relationship, because when we asked for help, they helped us,' she said. Reflecting on leaders who have challenged the dominance of the US dollar, Zuma-Sambudla noted former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's push for a pan-African gold dinar. She suggested that proposals such as this may have played a role in his downfall. 'We're working on the BRICS currency, and all of a sudden, Putin is a problem. So, it's just a trend.' In the interview, Zuma expressed support for RT and criticized the South African government's decision to block the channel amid international sanctions on Russia. She pledged that her party, the uMkhonto weSizwe movement, would reopen RT's access if it comes to power.
Mail & Guardian
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
MK party officials to discuss errant behaviour of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and Nhlamulo Ndhlela
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G) uMkhonto weSizwe ( Zuma-Sambudla's father, party president Mail & Guardian . They said Sambudla‑Zuma and Ndhela had approached Zuma, attempting to influence him and to disparage parliamentary caucus leader Colleen Makhubele and parliamentary leader and deputy president On Tuesday, eNCA reported that it had seen a letter addressed to Zuma, in which the party's caucus in parliament called for Makhubele to be removed from her position, saying her pro-Israel stance betrayed the party's values. According to the news channel, the MPs also said Makkhubele posed a threat to party unity and had demonstrated poor leadership and conduct that alienated members. In another leaked letter, dated 23 June, addressed to Ndhela and copied to Zuma, Hlophe said he wanted to formally inform the party spokesperson that he had been removed from the whippery team in parliament, effective immediately. The source said Ndhlela and Zuma-Sambudla had tried to use the alleged letter against Makhubele to deflect from 'the storm' brewing against Ndhlela. 'They saw the letter from the deputy president (copied) to the president. The plan was basically: 'How do we destabilise this storm that's coming?' So they decided to run with some fake stories. All the caucus members said they didn't know anything about a letter [against Makhubele] … No one has signed any letter,' the source said. 'Remember when the caucus leader was with the In his letter to Ndhela, Hlophe charged him with: Disrespectful communication: Repeated instances of rude, arrogant and dismissive communication toward parliamentary members, including senior leadership, undermining the dignity and collaborative spirit needed in the whippery team. Obstruction of parliamentary communications: Hindering the communications team's work with parliamentary members in press briefings and statement releases, causing delays and damaging the party's public image. Undermining unity and collaboration: Creating divisions among parliamentary members through perceived factional and counterproductive behaviour, contrary to the party's principles of unity and collective action. Hlophe gave Ndhela 21 days to appeal the decision. The behaviour of Sambudla-Zuma has also been slammed by the party's former secretary general, Folyd Shivambu and expelled MK party founder Jabulani Khumalo. In February, Zuma-Sambudla had to apologise to Shivambu after insulting him on social media platform X while Khumalo accused her of influencing Zuma into making decisions which were not good for the party. Asked by the M&G last month — after her appointment as chief whip — how long she expected to remain in the position given the party's reputation for frequently removing officials, Makhubele said she was unperturbed, insisting that for a new party such as the MK, changes were normal and people needed to adapt. 'At whatever point the leadership feels they need a new skill to stabilise the caucus, to take the caucus in a new direction, they will make those decisions,' she said. This week, another source said Ndhela and Sambudla‑Zuma generally ignored party structures and resisted being told what to do. 'Manyi was just trying to nurse their egos. Whoever comes and tries to run things organisationally, they do not like it — they want to be in charge,' the source said, referring to former parliamentary chief whip Mzwanele Manyi who was removed in May and replaced by Makhubele. They accused Ndhlela and Zuma-Sambudla of behaving as if they were founding members of the MK party and who believed they could not be told what to do. The second source also said no letter calling for Makhubele's removal had ever been signed by the party's MPs. 'Where is this letter? People were asked if they signed it, but no one said they did. There's nothing signed by members of parliament. We are having a meeting tomorrow and no one has signed any letter.' The MK party's head of presidency, 'I don't preempt the agenda. I'm part of the committee that drafts it. I'm not panicking about what's in it or not. Tomorrow [Thursday] the agenda will be finalised. If the matter must be on the agenda, it will be — but it can't be a meeting just for that item,' he said. Mzobe said he didn't understand why party members were creating a non-existent urgency about the meeting, saying officials' meetings happen regularly 'every fortnight night' in the party. 'It's a standard meeting — these meetings always include reports from parliament. A parliamentary report is a regular item. In the governance report, always delivered by the deputy president, he updates the meeting on what's happening in parliament,' he said, adding that this particular one had been originally set for this week but was postponed because of a bereavement in the Zuma family. 'The agenda isn't decided until Thursday, when all issues are brought forward. I don't know where this assumption came from that one specific thing will be discussed when there is no agenda yet,' Mzobe added. 'I don't know why people are anxious about the agenda. People are told there's a meeting and everyone brings their items. I'm meeting the president today or tomorrow. I don't know why people think we'll discuss that issue in a standard meeting and not an urgent meeting.' Asked whether the party would address the alleged theft of R7 million raised by In the media briefing, Shivambu said Zuma was surrounded by 'political scoundrels' who exploited his vulnerability in old age to create false intelligence reports and mislead him with the aim of embezzling money from MK. 'They are withdrawing not less than R7 million from the organisation's coffers. We are addressing this internally, warning them: stop what you are doing because you're going to get the party deregistered as a political party,' he said. This week Mzobe told the M&G: 'I can't say we are sitting to look at the R7 million specifically. There is a financial report that must give us what we need to know, and there's a governance report that must tell us what's happening in parliament. We're not panicking just because something's trending as a headline — it doesn't require an urgent meeting.' Makhubele and Hlophe were due to brief the media on Thursday on the latest developments in parliament, including ongoing budget votes.
The Herald
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
I'd speak against the untouchables, people who take drugs and tweet at night: Shivambu
Former MK Party secretary-general Floyd Shivambu has indirectly fired back at party leader Jacob Zuma and his daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, asserting his ability to speak out against wrongdoing in the party. Shivambu was recently fired as secretary-general after visiting fugitive from justice pastor Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi. Briefing the media on Thursday, Shivambu said he was not afraid of the 'untouchables' and 'people who do drugs and tweet at night' insulting him. 'All the issues I had at MK Party, I raised them internally, even against all odds,' he said. 'If there was an opportunity to raise issues about wrongdoings, I would speak and speak clearly against the untouchables there — people who take drugs, tweet at night, and insult us. We confront them and say, 'What is this about?' We never tiptoe around anyone; we always protect principles on how we deal with issues.' Shivambu's remarks come after a series of public spats with Zuma-Sambudla and Zuma's criticism of his actions. In February, Zuma-Sambudla posted scathing tweets about Shivambu in the middle of the night, discrediting Shivambu's leadership. 'Floyd, I'm not scared of you. Tell Your minions to f*** off, bloody mafikizolos [newbies],' Zuma-Sambudla said on X. 'F** you, Floyd,' another tweet read. She said Shivambu was the worst thing that had happened to the party. Early this week, Zuma took a firm stance against undisciplined members, making reference to several changes in leadership the party has had, particularly the secretary-general position. 'We've had seven secretaries-general because we're not here to play games. We don't care how great you are, how loved you are, we don't care. We talk about our party,' Zuma said. Despite that, Shivambu said he would never be afraid to speak out in the party. 'Go to the corners in the ANC, and they will tell you that 'Ramaphosa is nonsense and misleading us,' but they won't tell him. Go to EFF members, and they will share their own characterisation of their leader and what is happening there, but they don't have the courage to tell him. The same goes for MK, and we can't have a political culture like that. When we raise issues internally, you don't have to gossip about them anywhere.'
