{
  "id": 183155,
  "title": "South Africa plans new rules on ex-leaders’ foreign trips after Zuma’s visit to India",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/south-africa-plans-new-rules-on-ex-leaders-foreign-trips-after-zumas-183155",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-05T16:35:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/south-africa-plans-new-rules-on-ex-leaders-foreign-trips-after-zumas-visit-to-india/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africa's foreign minister has called for new rules and greater transparency regarding former heads of state's foreign trips following Jacob Zuma's recent controversial visit to India. The suggestion was made in response to Zuma's meeting with businessman Ajay Gupta, allegedly involved in a major corruption scandal that contributed to Zuma's downfall. This prompted criticism, with one minister accusing Zuma of showing \"middle finger\" to South Africa.\n\nThe Gupta family had been accused of profiting from their close ties to Zuma and influencing South African policy. They left the country in 2018 when a judicial commission started probing allegations of massive fraud, known as \"state capture\". In 2022, the commission found Zuma had hired and fired ministers at the behest of the Gupta family. South African authorities then dropped Ajay Gupta's arrest warrant, while his younger brothers Atul and Rajesh went to the UAE. In 2023, a UAE court rejected South Africa's extradition request for them.\n\nZuma was expelled from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and now leads the opposition uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). During his India visit, photos were taken of him with Gupta at an Indian temple, and South Africa's high commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal, was also seen with them. Sooklal has denied any wrongdoing.\n\nPreviously, Zuma caused controversy with his visit to Morocco last year, where he backed Morocco's claim to the disputed Western Sahara territory. South Africa opposed this and raised a formal diplomatic protest.",
  "summary": "South Africa's foreign minister wants new rules and \"more transparency\" to apply to former heads of state undertaking foreign trips.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}