Police officer tells court no financing link found for Zuma-Sambudla
A senior police officer told the Durban High Court that investigators could not prove Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla financed or communicated with groups active during the 2021 unrest.
Police investigators could not establish that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla paid for or communicated with groups active during the July 2021 unrest, the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban heard on Monday, 26 October 2026, according to The Citizen.
Zuma-Sambudla, a former MK party member of parliament, is on trial for allegedly inciting terrorism and violence. The case relates to the unrest that hit KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with widespread looting and destruction of property. It began after her father, former president Jacob Zuma, was jailed for defying a Constitutional Court order. The state alleges that her social media posts encouraged people to take part and fuelled the violence.
Police found no financial or communication link
Colonel Bheki Nazo, who heads the SAPS serious organised crime unit in KwaZulu-Natal and has 36 years of experience, testified that he was given the case after a complaint by Sarah-Jane Trent, who was employed by forensic examiner Paul O’Sullivan.
He said he obtained her cellphone records from network providers and requested bank documents. The aim was to see whether money had been paid out of her account to support others involved in the unrest. The inquiry, he said, produced no evidence of such financial links or contact. Nazo told the court the police could not prove communication between Zuma-Sambudla and those groups.
The meaning of “we see you”
Earlier, the court heard from Ellie Khumalo-Simelane, a retired SAPS colonel with 22 years of service. She worked as a language practitioner and headed language management at police headquarters in Pretoria. She has a doctorate and studied English and isiZulu.
Her evidence focused on the phrase “we see you”, which Zuma-Sambudla used repeatedly in posts during the unrest. A social media expert who testified earlier had read it as encouragement of the events. Defence advocate Dali Mpofu argued it was simply an English version of the isiZulu greeting “sawubona”.
Khumalo-Simelane offered “siyagubona” or “siyanibona” as translations and noted that “ngiyakubona” would address one person. She said the meaning can vary with context, but rejected the idea that the phrase was a greeting in these posts.
State prosecutor Alex Moolman referred to a post showing a burning truck, captioned “Amandla” and #FreeZuma. Mpofu objected, arguing that the witness was a translator, not qualified to say what the accused intended.
Judge Mbuzeni Mathenjwa agreed, noting that “her expertise is limited to linguistic aspects”. He ruled that questions about the trucks and pictures would not be allowed.
What happens next
The trial is not over and no verdict has been reached. The charges against Zuma-Sambudla remain allegations that the state must prove in court. Proceedings resume on Tuesday, 27 October.
This story is based on reporting by The Citizen.
