Zuma Faces Backlash After Meeting Gupta Brother in India

Former South African president Jacob Zuma emerged in a photo with Ajay Gupta at an Indian temple, stirring fresh controversy over the former leader’s ties to the Gupta family's alleged corruption.

Cabinet minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni called the encounter a “middle‑finger” to South Africans who suffered during the state‑capture crisis, saying the gesture was “very disturbing.”

Zuma, who now heads the uMkhonto weSizwe party, has reportedly signalled his intention to run in the next national elections, sparking concerns that the former president is pursuing a parallel foreign policy agenda.

International relations minister Ronald Lamola announced an investigation into the meeting, highlighting the implications for the country's political climate and the legacy of the Gupta scandal.

The meeting, and the subsequent statements, have reignited debates about the reach of the Gupta family’s influence and the long‑term effects of state capture on South Africa’s democratic institutions.