South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has raised concerns about former President Jacob Zuma's recent visit to India, where he met Ajay Gupta, one of the Gupta brothers implicated in the country's state capture scandal.

Lamola emphasized that Zuma's actions constitute a 'parallel foreign policy' without official government mandate, urging an internal investigation into the visit's purpose and implications under the Foreign Service Act.

The minister highlighted that only the current president and authorized representatives can officially represent South Africa abroad, stressing that Zuma's political activities and speeches during the trip focused on reclaiming leadership rather than state interests.Lamola also inquired about the involvement of South Africa's High Commissioner to India, Professor Anil Sooklal, in facilitating the meeting.The department is awaiting an internal report to assess how the visit occurred, its objectives, and potential breaches of diplomatic protocols.

Lamola warned that Zuma's continued political engagement complicates the balance between former presidential privileges and the need to prevent unauthorized foreign policy actions.The case underscores tensions within South Africa's leadership over Zuma's post-presidency activities and their impact on national interests.