Diplomatic storm erupts: SA summons envoy to India Anil Sooklal over ‘ties’ with Jacob Zuma & Ajay Gupta?

Sources have clarified that South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, has not been officially recalled from his diplomatic post. Instead, he has been asked to meet DIRCO (Department of International Relations and Cooperation) Director-General Zane Dangor for consultations and clarifications following an internal probe into his presence at a religious event in Haridwar.

The controversy erupted after photographs surfaced showing Sooklal alongside former President Jacob Zuma and fugitive businessman Ajay Gupta at the historic Siddhpeeth Shri Dakshin Kali Temple in Uttarakhand on June 26. Ajay Gupta remains a central figure in South Africa’s "state capture" corruption scandal, making the public encounter a major diplomatic embarrassment for Pretoria.

DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor indicated that while diplomatic missions routinely provide protocol assistance to former heads of state, details regarding Zuma's specific itinerary and host arrangements were not disclosed beforehand. Sooklal reportedly attended the temple upon a prior invitation, unaware that Gupta would attend. In response to the fallout, Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola announced a new framework requiring former leaders to disclose full travel details to safeguard South Africa's national reputation.