By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South Africa’s High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal, has been recalled back to Pretoria for consultation, following his attendance of a religious ceremony in the holy city of Haridwar in the presence of suspected state capture mastermind Ajay Gupta.
Photographs in the Indian media captured the veteran diplomat at the Siddhpeeth Shri Dakshin Kali temple alongside the two men caused the South African government considerable embarrassment last month.
The incident prompted the Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola to immediately order an investigation after Sooklal was photographed with former president Jacob Zuma and Ajay.
The latter is one of the masterminds behind the state capture in South Africa, which took place under Zuma’s administration.
The Gupta family left South Africa in 2018 after a judicial commission into state capture began investigating allegations that they were involved in massive corruption, known as “state capture”.
In 2022, the commission concluded that Zuma had hired and fired ministers central to the running of the country’s economy at the behest of the Gupta family.
The authorities ended up cancelling their arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta. The two younger Gupta brothers, Atul and Rajesh, went to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where a court in 2023 turned down a South African request to extradite them.
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).
Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday, Lamola said “We confirm that the High Commissioner Anil Sooklal has been recalled to Headquarters for consultations.”
“We have also submitted recommendations to parliament and to the presidency to consider a new framework for protocol and diplomatic support to presidents and former presidents during international travel,” said Lamola.
Lamola said the proposed framework would require former presidents and deputy presidents seeking government support during overseas trips to disclose more information about their travel arrangements and planned engagements.
“As part of this framework, The Presidency and DIRCO jointly establish a mandatory disclosure mechanism requiring former Presidents and Deputy Presidents seeking protocol and diplomatic support to provide full details of the purpose of travel, programme of activities, sources of funding, principal hosts, key engagements and the capacity in which they will be travelling, to enable an informed assessment of the appropriate level of support required and any associated reputational, political, diplomatic or security risks,” he said.
This is not the first time Zuma’s foreign visits have caused controversy.
Last year, he visited Morocco and spoke in support of the North African nation’s claim over disputed territory of Western Sahara – something South Africa opposes.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni openly rebuked Sooklal for hosting the pair, describing the social interaction with a State fugitive as a “disgrace” to the nation.
The political narrative shifted sharply during a subsequent parliamentary portfolio committee meeting. Data emerged suggesting that Sooklal was not acting independently, but was instead executing direct written directives issued by Dirco headquarters to assist Zuma.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation Ryan Smith said the recall created more questions than answers.
While he welcomed the proposal for new protocols, Smith said it did not answer whether Zuma’s relationship with the Guptas is being supported by government.
Meanwhile the Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders will meet in Durban for the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government later this month.
The summit will culminate on August 17 following a series of technical, ministerial and preparatory meetings from August 3-17, said Lamola.
The Council of Ministers will consider policy recommendations for submission to heads of state and government, including regional financing and institutional reforms.
The proposed SADC Presidential Champions Initiative will also be considered to strengthen implementation of regional priorities through high-level political leadership. The framework proposes that heads of state champion priority development areas, including infrastructure, industrialisation, agriculture, resource mobilisation and mining, according to Lamola.