South Africa's Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola has proposed new rules requiring former presidents to disclose full details of planned foreign travel, following a public outcry over ex-President Jacob Zuma's recent visit to India. Lamola told a parliamentary briefing on Wednesday that his department had submitted recommendations to both parliament and the president's office.
Proposed Protocols for Former Heads of State
Under the proposed protocols, former heads of state would need to provide comprehensive information before any overseas trip so that officials could assess "any associated reputational, political, diplomatic or security risks." The move aims to prevent future controversies and protect South Africa's international standing.
Zuma's India Trip and the Gupta Photograph
The proposal was triggered by Zuma's trip to India last month, where the 84-year-old was photographed alongside Ajay Gupta at an Indian temple. The image caused immediate uproar in South Africa, with one government minister saying Zuma was showing the "middle finger" to the country.
The Gupta family spent years at the centre of South Africa's so-called "state capture" scandal. Around a decade ago, the three Gupta brothers were accused of using their close ties to then-President Zuma to influence government appointments and policy for personal gain. Both parties denied any wrongdoing at the time.
Judicial Commission Findings
A judicial commission launched in 2018 to investigate the allegations ultimately concluded, in 2022, that Zuma had hired and fired key economic ministers at the Gupta family's direction. The family left South Africa when that inquiry began. Two of the brothers, Atul and Rajesh, relocated to the United Arab Emirates, where a court in 2023 refused a South African extradition request. South African authorities subsequently cancelled an arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta.
South Africa's high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, also appeared in the widely circulated photograph with Zuma and Gupta. He was recalled shortly after the image surfaced, though he denied any wrongdoing.
A Pattern of Controversial Foreign Visits
This is not the first time Zuma's overseas travel has put him at odds with official South African foreign policy. During a visit to Morocco last year, he publicly backed the North African country's claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a position that directly contradicts South Africa's own stance on the matter. He made that trip in his capacity as leader of the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, but appeared in front of a South African flag when he met Morocco's foreign minister.
Zuma was expelled from the African National Congress, the party he once led, and now heads the MK, which holds a significant number of seats in South Africa's parliament. The new rules, if adopted, would apply to all former presidents, regardless of their current political affiliations.
