Former president and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leader Jacob Zuma refused to entertain further questions from journalists after his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, suffered a legal setback at the Durban High Court on Friday, where her application to have criminal charges linked to the July 2021 unrest withdrawn was dismissed.

Zuma, who was at court in support of his daughter, appeared increasingly impatient when journalists attempted to get another reaction from him following the judgment.

When asked to comment, he insisted that he had already addressed the matter twice, earlier in the day.

“I did that. I did that earlier. You know, you are now doing it for the second time,” Zuma told journalists.

When reporters persisted, he responded: “I’ve said what I wanted to say. What’s your problem?”

He maintained that he had already given his reaction and was not prepared to repeat himself. He then entered his car while flanked by protectors.

The court’s decision means the case against Zuma-Sambudla will proceed, dealing a setback to her attempt to have the charges withdrawn.

She faces charges of incitement to commit terrorism and public violence arising from social media posts published during the July 2021 unrest, which erupted following her father’s imprisonment for contempt of court.

The unrest, which spread across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, resulted in widespread looting, destruction of property and violence, leaving more than 350 people dead.

Zuma-Sambudla’s legal team had argued that the State’s evidence was insufficient to sustain the prosecution. Her lawyers also challenged the interpretation of her social media posts, arguing that they did not amount to incitement.

The State, however, maintained that there were reasonable grounds for the prosecution to continue.

Zuma-Sambudla had previously argued that her posts, which included images and videos of the unrest accompanied by the words “Amandla” and “We See You”, were not intended to encourage violence.

Reacting to Friday’s judgment, she said she was not surprised.

The matter was postponed to May 2027, with Zuma-Sambudla remaining out on warning.

The court appearance comes at a politically significant moment for the Zuma family, with the MK Party making substantial gains in the November 4 local government elections as counting continues across the country.

With approximately 70% of voting districts counted nationally, the party has emerged as one of the major political stories of the election, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, where it is challenging the ANC’s long-standing dominance.

Asked about the party’s performance and its gains across KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma-Sambudla expressed confidence in the outcome, saying: “It was always going to happen.”

Her comments come despite her expulsion from the MK Party in June, when the party announced that her membership had been terminated alongside that of former party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.

The party cited conduct it said had undermined organisational unity, discipline and cohesion.

Despite the internal fallout, the latest election results show the MK Party maintaining significant support in its KwaZulu-Natal stronghold.

The party is leading in the province, ahead of the ANC and the Inkatha Freedom Party, while also making gains in eThekwini.

The MK Party had secured outright majorities in Richmond and Impendle municipalities, both previously governed by the ANC.

The results represent a significant development for the party in its first contest in local government elections.

However, with counting still underway, the final balance of power in several municipalities remains uncertain.

For Zuma-Sambudla, Friday’s court appearance brought an unfavourable legal outcome, while the party founded by her father continued to make headlines for its electoral performance.