Recommendation follows controversy over Jacob Zuma’s meeting with Gupta businessman in India
South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola has called for new rules requiring former heads of state to provide more information about their international trips.
Lamola said his department had submitted a recommendation to Parliament and the president’s office for new protocols governing foreign travel by former presidents. The proposal follows controversy surrounding former President Jacob Zuma’s recent visit to India.
Under the proposed rules, former heads of state would be required to provide full details about upcoming trips so authorities can assess potential political, diplomatic, reputational and security risks.
Zuma’s controversial India visit
Zuma’s visit to India last month sparked criticism after he met Ajay Gupta, one of the businessmen linked to the corruption scandal commonly known as “state capture”.
A photograph showing the 84-year-old former president with Gupta at an Indian temple attracted significant attention in South Africa. South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, was also pictured with the pair and was subsequently recalled. Sooklal has denied any wrongdoing.
The meeting prompted strong criticism from within South Africa’s government, with one minister accusing Zuma of effectively showing the country the “middle finger”.
Gupta family and state capture
The Gupta brothers became closely associated with Zuma during his presidency. They were accused of using their relationship with the former president to influence government decisions and benefit from state contracts and other opportunities.
Both the Gupta family and Zuma have denied wrongdoing.
The family left South Africa in 2018 after a judicial commission began investigating allegations of widespread corruption and political interference.
In 2022, the commission concluded that Zuma had appointed and dismissed ministers responsible for important areas of the economy at the request of the Gupta family.
South African authorities later cancelled an arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta. His younger brothers, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, moved to the United Arab Emirates. A UAE court rejected South Africa’s request to extradite them in 2023.
Zuma’s political career
Zuma has since been expelled from the African National Congress, the party he once led. He now heads the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe party.
His latest trip to India is not the first time his international activities have created diplomatic controversy.
Previous Morocco dispute
Last year, Zuma visited Morocco as the leader of the MK party and expressed support for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara, a disputed territory.
South Africa officially supports a different position on the issue and has long backed the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
Zuma was photographed standing in front of the South African flag during a meeting with Morocco’s foreign minister, where the Western Sahara issue was discussed.
The South African government condemned the visit and lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Morocco.
New rules proposed
Lamola said the proposed protocols would help the government understand the circumstances surrounding foreign trips by former presidents and determine what level of official support may be appropriate.
The move is intended to prevent future visits from creating unexpected diplomatic or reputational challenges for South Africa while ensuring greater transparency around the international activities of former leaders.
