The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation expresses its profound alarm and concern over two overlapping developments that threaten to undermine South Africa’s fragile democratic institutions, public ethics, and the rule of law.
1. The Appointment of Dina Pule as Minister of Social Development
The Foundation views the appointment of Dina Pule as the new Minister of Social Development by President Cyril Ramaphosa with absolute dismay. South Africa cannot build a capable, ethical, and developmental state by recycling individuals whose public records are severely tarnished by corruption, nepotism, and dishonesty.
- A History of Deception: In 2013, Ms Pule was dismissed from the Cabinet and sanctioned by Parliament’s Ethics Committee for “persistently lying” and failing to disclose a conflict-of-interest involving state contracts funnelled to her romantic partner.
- Vulnerable Citizens At Risk: Placing an individual previously found guilty of compromising her oath of office in charge of the Department of Social Development—which oversees life-saving social grants for millions of vulnerable citizens—is an insult to the poor.
- Erosion of Public Trust: This appointment signals that political expediency and factional trade-offs override ethical governance. It completely betrays the promise of renewal and constitutional integrity.
2. Jacob Zuma’s Brazen Alignment with Ajay Gupta. What explains the presence of High Commissioner Anil Sooklal?
Simultaneously, the Foundation is deeply disturbed by recent international media reports confirming that Jacob Zuma visited a temple in Haridwar, India, alongside the state capture implicated, Ajay Gupta.
Rather than viewing this as a standard private visit, South Africans must confront the damning realities established by the judiciary. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture formally concluded that Mr Zuma acted as a central enabler of the Gupta family’s enterprise, explicitly finding that he “advanced the interests of the Gupta family at the expense of the people of South Africa” and routinely abused his presidential authority to remove officials who refused to compromise their integrity.
The Zondo Commission identified Ajay Gupta as a central architect of South Africa’s state capture, transforming his family business into an organized racketeering enterprise that systematically drained public funds from key entities like Eskom and Transnet. Through collusion with former President Jacob Zuma, Gupta wielded unchecked influence by offering cabinet positions for commercial favours and manipulating government advertising budgets to support his media ventures.
Most alarmingly, reports, photographic evidence, and videos place South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Prof Anil Sooklal, right alongside Mr Zuma and Mr Gupta during this visit.
The Foundation Demands Urgent Answers
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the Presidency must immediately clarify the following critical questions:
- On what basis was the South African High Commissioner, Prof. Anil Sooklal, present at a gathering with a central architect of State Capture who fled South African accountability??
- Did the High Commissioner provide state-funded consular protocol, security, or logistical assistance to Jacob Zuma for a visit that involved meeting a State Capture suspect?
- What active steps is the South African diplomatic mission in India taking to ensure the extradition and accountability of individuals wanted for crippling our economy, rather than sharing social and religious platforms with them?
Conclusion
The values that Uncle Kathy spent 26 years on Robben Island defending—honesty, non-racialism, equality, and a government that serves its people—are actively being eroded. We cannot allow the normalization of State Capture figures to seep back into our cabinet or our foreign diplomatic missions.
In drawing a line against this regression, the Foundation recalls the definitive finding of the Zondo Commission, which warned that preventing a recurrence of state capture “would require a certain level of ethical commitment” from leadership. The Commission explicitly observed that during the peak era of looting, “the most dominant political faction… permitted, supported, and enabled corruption and State Capture.”
By appointing Dina Pule to oversee the livelihoods of South Africa’s most vulnerable, President Cyril Ramaphosa has failed the very “ethical commitment” that Chief Justice Zondo deemed non-negotiable for our national recovery. President Ramaphosa must be held directly to account for this irrational decision. He must explain to the nation how elevating an individual with a documented history of dishonesty aligns with a commitment to clean governance.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation calls on all South Africans, civil society formations, and ethical leaders to reject the abuse of executive authority for political convenience, demand the immediate revocation of Pule’s appointment, and enforce absolute accountability from the executive.
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About the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation:
The Foundation aims to deepen non-racialism and promote the values of the South African Constitution. It continues the legacy of anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada by advocating for ethical leadership and social justice.
Media Enquiries:
Anele Gcwabe
Communications Manager
083 278 8832
anele@kathradafoundation.org
