South Africa considers new rules for former leaders' foreign travel after Zuma's India visit

This recommendation to parliament follows a controversial visit to India by former President Jacob Zuma, where he met with Ajay Gupta, a businessman allegedly central to a corruption scandal that contributed to the downfall of Zuma's government. The Gupta brothers were accused of leveraging their close ties with Zuma to influence South African policy and profit from it, allegations both parties denied. A judicial commission in 2022 concluded that Zuma had appointed and dismissed ministers at the behest of the Gupta family.

South African authorities later canceled an arrest warrant for Ajay Gupta, while his brothers, Atul and Rajesh, were in the UAE, where an extradition request from South Africa was denied. Zuma, who has since been expelled from the African National Congress and now leads the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe MK, was photographed with Ajay Gupta at an Indian temple. South Africa's high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, who was also pictured with them, has been recalled and denies wrongdoing.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola stated that his department has proposed new protocols requiring former heads of state to provide comprehensive details of their upcoming trips for an assessment of necessary support and potential risks. This is not the first time Zuma's foreign travel has sparked controversy; last yea