By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Durban High Court has dismissed an application by Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla to withdraw charges against her linked to the 2021 unrest case.
Zuma-Sambudla appeared in court on Friday, 06 November 2026.
Zuma-Sambudla, who has pleaded not guilty, faces one count of incitement to commit terrorism and two counts of incitement to commit public violence.
The charges stem from the fatal unrest that swept through KZN and Gauteng following the incarceration of her father, former president Jacob Zuma, for contempt of court.
In her application, Zuma-Sambudla argued that the State case was weak after it concluded presenting its evidence following testimony from several witnesses.
The defence subsequently approached the court, seeking a discharge under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), which provides an accused person with an opportunity to apply for a withdrawal of their charges.
Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa delivered the ruling on Friday, 6 November 2026, dismissing the application brought by Zuma-Sambudla’s legal team.
The matter has been postponed to 17 May 2027 for legal argument.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) KwaZulu-Natal regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara confirmed that the matter has been postponed to 17 May 2027.
The next appearance will allow both the prosecution and the defence to present legal arguments.
Ramkisson-Kara explained what the dismissal of the application means for the proceedings.
“If you look at the application for 174, that was to dispel the state’s case or for the court to rule that the state had not brought a prima facie case against the accused.” The ruling in the state’s favour obviously means that the state’s charges against the accused are valid,” she said.