South Africa is planning to introduce new rules regarding foreign trips by former heads of state. This decision was made after a photograph of former President Jacob Zuma with fugitive businessman Ajay Gupta during a visit to India was published, reports infohub.kz.
In 2022, an investigative commission found that Zuma had appointed and fired ministers responsible for the country's economy at the request of the Gupta family. The South African authorities later cancelled their arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta. The younger Gupta brothers, Atul and Rajesh, fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but in 2023 a UAE court rejected South Africa's request for their extradition.
Zuma has since been expelled from the African National Congress (ANC), the party he once led, and now heads the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party. During his visit to India, a photograph of the 84-year-old politician and Ajay Gupta was taken at an Indian temple. South Africa's High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, was also pictured with them and has been recalled. The diplomat denies any wrongdoing.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola said his department has submitted recommendations to parliament and the president's office for new protocols for former heads of state on foreign trips. They would have to "provide full details" about the upcoming trip to allow for "an informed assessment of the appropriate level of support required and any associated reputational, political, diplomatic or security risks," the minister said at a briefing on Wednesday.
This is not the first time Zuma's foreign trips have caused controversy. Last year, he visited Morocco and expressed support for the North African nation's claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which contradicts South Africa's position. Although Zuma made the trip as MK leader, he was pictured in front of the South African flag when he met Morocco's foreign minister and raised the Western Sahara issue. South Africa condemned the visit and lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Morocco.