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South Africa Recalls Envoy Over Meeting With Gupta Brother
South Africa has recalled its high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, for consultations after he attended a June 26 temple ceremony in Haridwar involving former president Jacob Zuma and Ajay Gupta. Foreign…
The Story in Brief
South Africa has recalled its high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, for consultations after he attended a June 26 temple ceremony in Haridwar involving former president Jacob Zuma and Ajay Gupta. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed the move but gave no further details. He said the foreign ministry had recommended new rules for protocol and diplomatic support during former presidents’ foreign visits.
The Gupta brothers face South African allegations of using their ties with Zuma to secure contracts, influence cabinet appointments and siphon state funds. Zuma and the Guptas deny wrongdoing. The Democratic Alliance has sought a departmental inquiry, while the foreign ministry had already begun an internal review of Sooklal’s presence. Ajay Gupta is in India. Extradition requests for his brothers were rejected by a UAE court in 2023 on technical grounds.
The Indian Opinion
The loudest claims will either portray Sooklal as proof that South Africa’s foreign service is politically captured, or dismiss the episode as a harmless personal meeting. Neither view settles the protocol issue. Zuma openly described Ajay Gupta as a friend, while the Guptas remain tied to serious corruption allegations and have denied wrongdoing. The fair test is whether the internal inquiry establishes what role Sooklal played and whether the proposed rules apply equally to every former president.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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