Ghana summons South African envoy over xenophobic incidents

Ghana summoned South Africa's envoy to the country on Thursday over several "xenophobic incidents," including one in which a legal Ghanaian immigrant was asked to return home and "fix his country."

Videos online have circulated in recent days showing Ghanaians and other immigrants being harassed in South Africa.

Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa described the incidents as "extremely disturbing xenophobic attacks."

In a statement late Thursday, he spoke of a particular episode in the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province in which a Ghanaian, "a legal resident was confronted [and] instructed to leave South Africa and 'fix his country'."

South Africa, the continent's most industrialised economy, has long been a destination for both legal and undocumented African workers.

But now saddled with an unemployment rate of over 30%, it has seen repeated spurts of xenophobic and anti-migrant protests, and occasionally violence.

South Africa's acting police minister condemned the incidents on Friday, saying attacks on foreign nationals were "unlawful" and violated the country's constitutional values of dignity and equality.

Investigations

"Acts of xenophobia, violence, looting, or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances," Firoz Cachalia said in a statement, adding that police have "been instructed to act decisively and without hesitation in addressing these incidents."

Ablakwa held a phone call with his South African counterpart Ronald Lamola on Wednesday, leading to Pretoria reportedly promising "full scale investigations" into the incidents.

In his meeting with South Africa's acting high commissioner to Ghana Thando Dalamba, Ablakwa underscored "Ghana's support for the anti-apartheid struggle" and "emphasised that the unprovoked harassment and attacks on law-abiding individuals are contrary to the principles of African solidarity."

There are more than three million foreigners living in South Africa, or 5.1% of the population, according to the statistics agency.

More than 63% come from countries in the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc.

In January, South Africa's border management agency said it had intercepted more than 530,000 people attempting to enter the country illegally since July 2022.