Jacob Zuma's Controversial Meeting with Gupta Brother Sparks Outrage
Former South African President Jacob Zuma has reportedly expressed his intention to stand for election again, following revelations that he met with Ajay Gupta, one of the Indian businessmen implicated in a major corruption scandal.
A photograph showing Zuma and Ajay Gupta together in an Indian temple was circulated by Indian media this week, reigniting concerns about Zuma's associations with the Gupta family.
Approximately ten years ago, the Gupta brothers faced accusations of leveraging their close relationship with then-President Zuma to influence South African government policy and benefit financially. Both Zuma and the Gupta family have consistently denied any wrongdoing. The Gupta family subsequently left South Africa in 2018 after a judicial commission launched an investigation into allegations of extensive fraud, commonly referred to as "state capture."
South African authorities withdrew the arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta in 2019. Meanwhile, the two younger Gupta brothers, Atul and Rajesh, relocated to the United Arab Emirates, where a 2023 court ruling denied South Africa's extradition request.
During a press briefing on Friday, Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni condemned Zuma's actions, stating:
"It is very disturbing that a former state president openly and unapologetically shows the middle finger to South Africans who have lost a lot of money through the Gupta brothers' shenanigans."
Zuma, a long-time member of the African National Congress (ANC), was compelled to resign in 2018 amid numerous corruption allegations linked to the Guptas. He has consistently denied any involvement in corrupt activities.
In 2022, the commission investigating state capture found that Zuma had manipulated ministerial appointments and dismissals central to the country's economic management at the behest of the Gupta family. The report highlighted the 2015 dismissal of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, who resisted the Guptas' influence, and the subsequent appointments of Des van Rooyen and Malusi Gigaba, both perceived as favorable to the family's interests.
The commission also revealed extensive corruption within the state electricity utility Eskom, where key executive positions were reportedly filled under Gupta influence.
Following his meeting with Ajay Gupta at the Indian temple, Zuma, who currently leads the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, reportedly announced his intention to run in South Africa's forthcoming elections.
Minister Ntshavheni responded to this announcement, saying:
"The 84-year-old Zuma continues to show a middle finger and claim that he wants to run this country again."
She further criticized the South African High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, for accompanying Zuma to the meeting, calling it a "disgrace."
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola announced that South Africa will initiate an investigation into the meeting. He suggested that Zuma appears to be conducting "a parallel foreign policy."
Under Zuma's leadership, the MK party secured approximately 15% of the vote in the 2024 elections, which marked the first time since the democratic era began in 1994 that the ANC lost its majority.
Additional Context and Related Reports
- Jacob Zuma would do anything for the Guptas - Zondo report
- Zuma, the Guptas, and the sale of South Africa
- Behind the 'Zuma tsunami' in South Africa
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