Former South African President Jacob Zuma has met Ajay Gupta, a central figure in the 2018 state‑capture scandal, in an Indian temple. The meeting was photographed and shared by Indian media, sparking immediate backlash from South African officials.
The Gupta brothers, who rose to prominence through close ties with Zuma, were accused of bribery and manipulation of national policy. A judicial commission eventually concluded the group engaged in widespread fraud, leading to the Guptas’ departure from South Africa in 2018. Arrest warrants were cancelled for Ajay Gupta following a commission inquiry, while requests to extradite younger brothers Atul and Rajesh were denied by a UAE court.
Cabinet minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni described Zuma’s actions as “very disturbing” and a “disgrace” that ogles the wounds inflicted on the country. She highlighted the presence of the South African high commissioner to India at the meeting, condemning the gesture as an insult to South Africans.
Zuma, now leading the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, reportedly announced plans to contest the next presidential election. The minister warned that this ambition suggests a continuation of a “parallel foreign policy.” Meanwhile, international relations minister Ronald Lamola pledged an investigation into the meeting.
The episode underscores lingering doubts over the Gupta family’s influence on South African governance. Despite MK’s modest share in last year’s election, the political fallout from this unprecedented encounter could shape the country’s political landscape moving forward.
