Ghana says it has initiated the process to evacuate about 300 of its citizens from South Africa following a wave of protests against foreigners.
Its Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said in a post on X on Tuesday that President John Dramani Mahama had granted approval for their “immediate evacuation”.
He said the “distressed” Ghanaians had registered at the country’s embassy in Pretoria to be rescued in response to an advisory by the foreign ministry “following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks”.
Ghana and Nigeria have recently summoned the South African envoys to their respective countries over the mistreatment and harassment of their citizens.
Ghana has also written to the African Union (AU) asking it to discuss the issue, saying it posed a “serious risk to the safety and wellbeing” of Africans in South Africa.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied the country is xenophobic, saying the recent attacks on foreign nationals do not reflect the views of the government or broader society.
In his weekly newsletter to the nation, he condemned the protests and criminal acts targeting foreigners, warning that no individual or group has the right to take the law into their own hands.
Acknowledging growing concern over undocumented migration, he said there was a need to “deal decisively” with illegal immigration but that this had to be done within the confines of the law.
“Undocumented migration places strain on healthcare, housing, and municipal services, particularly in poor communities,” he said.
On Tuesday, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that a refugee cannot remain in the country and re-apply for asylum after being denied approval in a previous application.
The Department of Home Affairs welcomed the judgment, describing it as a significant victory against abuse of the asylum system.
Xenophobia has long been an issue in the country and has been accompanied by occasional outbursts of deadly attacks.
Esther Ndu
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