S.Africa clears diplomat over Zuma-Gupta meetings in India

South Africa said Wednesday it had cleared its top envoy in India of involvement in meetings between ex-president Jacob Zuma and one of the Gupta brothers accused of siphoning off millions of dollars in state assets.

The government in Pretoria was furious after it emerged that Zuma met Ajay Gupta in India in June, and said the involvement of South Africa's high commissioner to New Delhi was "a disgrace".

The three Gupta brothers built a sprawling business empire in South Africa but fled in 2018 as investigations began into claims they were involved in massive fraud known as "state capture" under Zuma's watch.

In a photograph shared online, Zuma is pictured at a temple in Haridwar with Gupta and the High Commissioner, Anil Sooklal.

Called on to explain, Sooklal reported no direct interaction with Gupta, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

He was among hundreds of guests and had not accompanied Zuma or Gupta, it said.

Sooklal also "did not arrange, facilitate or participate in any private meetings" involving Zuma and Gupta, it said, adding he only rendered support ordinarily extended to former presidents.

"He has been cleared. We found no wrongdoing on his part," foreign affairs ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri told AFP.

A 2016 graft report by South Africa's anti-corruption watchdog claims the Gupta brothers paid bribes to influence ministerial appointments and plunder state organs.

Ajay Gupta was declared a fugitive from justice in 2018 but South African authorities withdrew the arrest warrant against him the next year.

The two younger Gupta brothers, Atul and Rajesh, fled to the United Arab Emirates where a court in 2023 turned down a South African request to extradite them.

Zuma, president between 2009 and 2018, now heads the opposition Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party.

South Africa holds local government elections in November this year with the next presidential election due in 2029.

In a video shared on social media after his meeting with Gupta, 84-year-old Zuma also suggested he would stand for re-election after being forced out of office in 2018 under a cloud of corruption allegations.