President Jacob Zuma pictured in India with Ajay Gupta and spiritual leaders
Image: Facebook
Former president Jacob Zuma has been photographed at a Hindu temple in Haridwar, northern India, alongside Ajay Gupta, one of the Gupta brothers accused of playing a central role in South Africa’s state capture scandal, reigniting questions about Zuma’s relationship with the controversial family.
Zuma travelled to Uttarakhand in late June, where he was seen offering prayers at the Siddhpeeth Shri Dakshin Kali Mandir in Haridwar. Indian media reported that he was accompanied by Ajay Gupta, who was described as a disciple of the ashram, as well as South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Professor Anil Sooklal. The presence of both men has attracted scrutiny, particularly because Ajay Gupta remains a fugitive from South African authorities.
Speaking to Indian news agency ANI, Niranjani Akhara Mahamandaleshwar Swami Kailashanand Giri, the spiritual leader who hosted Zuma, said it was the former president’s first visit to Haridwar. He said Zuma had travelled from Delhi to Saharanpur before proceeding to the temple to receive blessings.
Zuma used the occasion to make political remarks, telling reporters he remained confident of returning to power. He said he believed he would win future elections because “the people of God” had stood by him. Reflecting on his removal from office, Zuma also said he was pleased to be visiting India “at the right time”, recalling that he had once led South Africa before being removed from the presidency.
Responding to questions from IOL, MK Party spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu did not deny that Zuma met Ajay Gupta during the visit. However, he rejected suggestions that the meeting undermined South Africa’s efforts to hold the Gupta family accountable.
“President Jacob Zuma is a private citizen and is entitled to travel wherever he chooses. His visit to India is not unprecedented. He has attended this annual event for many years, dating back to around 2012, and has a longstanding relationship with Priest Abhinav Ungamuthu,” he said.
Mahlangu argued that Zuma was being subjected to a double standard, pointing to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who is under investigation in South Africa, as well as South Africa’s engagement with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Sudanese Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, both of whom have faced international allegations relating to human rights abuses. He also noted that South Africans, including members of Parliament, have travelled to Malawi to visit fugitive preacher Shepherd Bushiri.
Addressing Ajay Gupta’s presence at the religious gathering, Mahlangu said:
“If a member of the Gupta family attended a religious event where two other former Heads of State were attending, it is not the problem of uMkhonto weSizwe Party.”
He also criticised the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, saying it had cost taxpayers billions without securing convictions against either Zuma or the Gupta family. Referring to Zuma’s 15-month sentence for contempt of court after refusing to appear before the commission, Mahlangu insisted the former president had broken no law by attending the gathering.
“Zuma is not undermining anything. But he is not a prisoner and is free to attend any religious gathering of his choice,” Mahlangu said.
While the MK Party has portrayed Zuma’s visit as a private religious engagement, Ajay Gupta’s appearance in India raises fresh questions because his whereabouts have remained largely unknown to South African authorities in recent years.
Unlike his brothers, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who were arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2022 and became the subject of South Africa’s extradition efforts, Ajay Gupta largely disappeared from public view. International reports have repeatedly described his location as unknown while legal proceedings involving his brothers continued.
South Africa’s attempts to extradite Atul and Rajesh Gupta have suffered several setbacks. In 2023, the Dubai Court of Appeal dismissed Pretoria’s extradition request after finding that it failed to meet the documentation requirements of the extradition treaty between the two countries.
A renewed attempt also failed in late 2024 because of jurisdictional issues, prompting the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) to prepare another application. As recently as August last year, then Justice Minister Thembi Simelane-Nkadimeng confirmed that government remained committed to extraditing the Gupta brothers from the UAE, while acknowledging that Emirati authorities had requested a fresh submission.
Against that backdrop, the public appearance of South Africa’s High Commissioner alongside Ajay Gupta at a religious event has prompted questions about whether South African authorities were aware of his location and whether that information could have implications for future extradition efforts.
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