Jacob Zuma-Gupta meeting: South Africa clears envoy

South Africa's foreign ministry said its high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, had been cleared of wrongdoing over his presence during a June meeting involving former president Jacob Zuma and Ajay Gupta in India.

Foreign affairs ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri told AFP: “He has been cleared. We found no wrongdoing on his part.”

The ministry said Sooklal reported no direct interaction with Gupta, was among hundreds of guests at a temple in Haridwar and did not accompany Zuma or Gupta. It said he did not arrange, facilitate or take part in any private meetings involving the two men and only gave support ordinarily extended to former presidents.

Pretoria had criticised the envoy's apparent involvement after a photograph circulated online showing Zuma at the temple with Gupta and Sooklal.

The Gupta brothers built a large business empire in South Africa before fleeing in 2018 as investigations began into alleged “state capture” during Zuma's presidency. A 2016 report by South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog claimed the brothers paid bribes to influence ministerial appointments and plunder state bodies.

Ajay Gupta was declared a fugitive from justice in 2018, but South African authorities withdrew the arrest warrant against him the next year. Atul and Rajesh Gupta fled to the United Arab Emirates, where a court in 2023 rejected South Africa's extradition request.

Zuma, who was president from 2009 to 2018, now leads the opposition Umkhonto we Sizwe party. In a video shared on social media after meeting Gupta, the 84-year-old suggested he would stand for re-election.