The Indian media has widely reported that former President Jacob Zuma visited a temple in Haridwar, India, accompanied by his friend and corruption-accused Ajay Gupta, and SA High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal, reports News24.

Zuma was accompanied on the visit by close confidante Mzwanele Manyi, who confirmed the visit but said he had ‘no mandate’ to talk about ‘the private visit’. 

The visit was covered by several of India’s largest news organisations, many of which also covered Zuma and the Guptas’ links to accusations of state capture.

In photographs and videos of the visit, Zuma is seen in the Sidipeeth Shri Dakshin Kali temple, flanked by Swami Kailashanand Giri, Sooklal and Gupta.

Sooklal was not in his office at the High Commission in Delhi yesterday and could not be reached for comment on his decision to visit the temple, alongside Gupta.

Deputy High Commissioner Cedrick Crowley said he was unable to comment on Zuma’s visit to the country without Sooklal’s consent. The Department of International Relations & Co-operation could not immediately comment either. According to news reports, Ajay Gupta was a ‘disciple and member of the ashram’.

Zuma, seated in a temple chair with rose petals on his face, is quoted by broadcasters as saying he had come to India to visit his ‘brother and friend’, who had been forced to leave the country.

This was ‘unfortunate’, he said, adding that the SA authorities had not liked what he had been doing or what they had been doing together and attempted to follow him ‘even to the wrong places’.

Ajay had told him about ‘a man of God who he was working with’, and he had decided to visit the temple. Zuma said he wished to win elections in SA to return to power.

‘I had led the country at one point, but they put me aside, and I remained there. I realised that they were messing up the country. They were not taking the country forward. I decided to take a decision to retake the country forward… I feel I am going to win the elections because people of God have been with me… After we finish what we are doing in our country, I will pay a visit here, which will not be just two to three days but a big one. So that I can say “thank you” to my brothers and friends here for giving me this opportunity to come here.'

The NPA has no active extradition proceedings against any of the three Gupta brothers, according to News24.

An attempt to extradite Ajay’s brothers, Atul and Rajesh, in 2023 failed after a court in the UAE ruled on a technicality not to go ahead with it.

Full News24 report