As the trial of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla for her alleged role in the July 2021 unrest begins in the Durban High Court in KwaZulu-Natal, the first state witness narrated before Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa how WhatsApp groups were created to coordinate the unrest that ravaged some parts of the country.
The floor was opened by Zuma-Sambudla’s lawyer, Adv Dali Mpofu SC, who told the court that his client had elected not to make an opening statement from the dock.
He also informed the court that the state intended to bring in experts to testify, and he stated that they would present their own experts to support their case.
Taking the floor after Mpofu, senior state prosecutor Yuri Gangai said the case against Zuma-Sambudla is about the power of words, and the state will prove that she used social media to incite violence.
Gangai added that while the right of speech is protected, it is not an absolute right to destroy, and words by powerful figures like Zuma-Sambudla can lead to destruction.
He then led Major-General Gopal Govender, the current head of the Hawks in Limpopo, who was tasked with investigating the unrest cases, who told the court that there were 164 WhatsApp groups that were created and used to coordinate the violence.
Some of the WhatsApp groups were started on June 29, 2021, immediately after the Constitutional Court sentenced former president Jacob Zuma (Duduzile’s father) to 15 months imprisonment for contempt of court.
Links to Cuba
Govender further told the court that the state was able to penetrate eight of the WhatsApp groups and obtained information.
Some groups targeted Durban, Ntuzuma, and KwaMashu and were coordinated through a WhatsApp group called INK (Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu) shutdown.
One of the WhatsApp groups was called the New Political Landscape, which was created in Bloemfontein; another was called ANC Factional Battles. There was also one called Jacob Zuma Support Group and another called Zuma 100 Percent.
He further alleged that the groups had international links to Cuba.
“We definitely picked up a link to Cuba and actively worked during that period to Cuba,” he told the court.
According to Govender, below the Cuba links were national politicians and facilitators of the unrest.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party leaders, including Zuma, secretary-general Dr Bongani Mncwango, spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela, and party supporters, were in court to support Zuma-Sambudla.
The marathon trial continues until November 21.
