IR Committee Welcomes DIRCO Probe Conclusion on Sooklal

The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation welcomes the conclusion of the investigation by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) regarding the South African High Commissioner to India, Prof Anil Sooklal. DIRCO has clarified that the High Commissioner in New Delhi did not arrange, facilitate or participate in any private meetings involving former President Jacob Zuma and Mr Ajay Gupta during the private visit to India in late June 2026. Furthermore, the department confirmed that the assistance provided at the protocol lounge in Mumbai on 25 June was standard diplomatic protocol afforded to former Heads of State, and that the High Commissioner's attendance at the religious ceremony in Haridwar was on the basis of a separate invitation from the host organisers as Head of Mission, amongst approximately 1,000 guests, with no reported direct interaction. Prof Sooklal has now returned to New Delhi to resume his duties. The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Supra Mahumapelo said: "We are satisfied that the matter has been dealt with transparently and in line with due process. We reaffirm our full confidence in Prof Sooklal and in the important work of our Mission in India to advance South Africa's national interest, bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation. The committee will still engage in the full report and develop a wayforward on the matter. Read the original article on Parliament of South Africa . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.