Former President Jacob Zuma popped up in India last week, appearing alongside his “brother” and “friend”, corruption-accused Ajay Gupta, to offer prayers at Gupta’s ashram, the Dakshin Kali temple in Uttarakhand.
During an interview with Indian media afterwards, Zuma declared that he feels he will win the next elections after receiving blessings at the temple.
Also present during the visit, on 26 June, was South African High Commissioner to India, Anil Sooklal. There are now calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to reprimand Sooklal.
Ajay Gupta, once a fugitive from justice in South Africa, is a member and “disciple” of the temple.
The Gupta name is synonymous with State Capture, after the Zondo Commission found that multiple government ministers, senior ANC members, and the heads of state-owned enterprises engaged in corrupt acts in support of the Gupta family.
Central to this was Jacob Zuma, who the commission found actively colluded with the Gupta family to capture state institutions.
Zuma, described on multiple occasions as having presided over “nine wasted years” in South Africa, is now eyeing a big comeback.
In an interview after he “offered prayers” at the temple, he said some people in South Africa “were not happy” with what the Guptas were doing in the country.
Speaking about his friend Ajay, he said:
“I was working with him as well, they decided to say he must leave the country. And that was a very unfortunate thing. And he went away and they followed him, even at the wrong places.”
Zuma says he decided he should come visit Ajay, as he was told that there is a leader in India who is a “man of God.”
Turning to his own leadership, the former President said he was “put aside.”
“And I realised that they were messing up the country. They were not taking the country forward. I decided to take a decision to retake the country forward. And I think, given the fact that I’m now in a country, talking to the people to say they must vote for me so that I would make the country to be what we want it to be.”
Zuma says that after meeting with Ajay’s “brother” and “friend”, he feels he will win the elections.
“And yesterday I had an opportunity for the first time to see this man of God. I’m telling you, I feel I am going to win the elections because people of God, they’ve been with me. And I would like to thank this big man that he had an opportunity to be with me the whole day today.”
“And I think he’s giving me some power. He’s giving me not just some power, but he’s giving me that I should once again take our people where they are supposed to be. And I’m very happy. And I would like to thank my brother there, together with the family, but also thank the big man here. He has given a good feeling to me. So thank you very much.”
He concluded by saying he will pay his friends a much longer visit, “after we finish what we are doing in our country.”
South Africa is a movie. A former President meeting with fugitives in another country on the day of planned disruptions he is party to🤞🏽😂 pic.twitter.com/O9FxtVRHqD
— LADY M³ We EFF❤️ (@MapulaMokgosang) June 30, 2026
