Sixty-two people are due to appear in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on Monday to face terrorism and related charges linked to the July 2021 unrest.
The charges stem from violence that killed 354 people and caused damage estimated between R40 billion and R50 billion. Prosecutors allege the accused used three WhatsApp groups to coordinate attacks and looting in an effort to secure the release of former president Jacob Zuma.
Gods Surprise Ntuli, 48, is listed to lead the group into court. The accused, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal and the East Rand, face counts that include terrorism, sedition and conspiracy to murder Judge Raymond Zondo.
The case, which runs from 20 July to 18 September, will rely on evidence from 125 witnesses including specialists from MTN, Vodacom, Telkom and Cell C. It marks the first major prosecution tied to what President Cyril Ramaphosa described as an attempted insurrection.
