The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation notes the statement by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) concluding its internal consultations and clearing South Africa’s High Commissioner to India, Professor Anil Sooklal, of wrongdoing regarding former President Jacob Zuma’s recent private trip to India. 

While DIRCO has established that the High Commission played a ceremonial, protocol-driven role and did not actively facilitate substantive engagements with fugitive Gupta family members, the Foundation emphasizes that demanding absolute transparency remains an essential civic duty. In a constitutional democracy still healing from the devastating impacts of State Capture, civil society has an obligation to raise alarms whenever state officials are pictured alongside individuals who systematically looted our country.

The initial sight of a top South African diplomat in proximity to a fugitive from justice was deeply concerning and warranted rigorous public scrutiny. Demanding accountability is not an attack on due process; it is a vital defence of democratic ethics. 

The Foundation is, however, encouraged by DIRCO’s subsequent acknowledgment of these systemic vulnerabilities. We welcome the department’s announcement of an intention to review and strengthen protocols governing logistical and diplomatic support extended to former heads of state traveling abroad. It is imperative that state resources and diplomatic representation are never inadvertently used to validate or assist individuals fleeing local accountability. 

We will continue to closely monitor the implementation of these reviewed protocols to ensure that South Africa’s foreign missions uphold the highest ethical standards of our constitutional democracy. 

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