Ghana has summoned South Africa’s envoy in response to a series of recent xenophobic incidents, including an episode where a Ghanaian legal resident was told to return home and fix his country.
South Africa, recognized as the continent’s most industrialized nation, has long attracted both legal and undocumented migrants from across Africa. However, with unemployment now exceeding 30 percent, the country has experienced repeated waves of anti-migrant protests and occasional violence.
In recent days, videos circulating online have depicted Ghanaians being harassed. According to a statement from Ghana’s foreign ministry late Thursday, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa cited an incident in KwaZulu-Natal province where a Ghanaian legal resident was confronted and instructed to leave South Africa and fix his country.
The ministry also warned of escalating tensions, urging foreign nationals—including Ghanaians—to remain indoors for their own safety.
During a meeting with South Africa’s acting high commissioner, Thando Dalamba, Minister Ablakwa highlighted Ghana’s longstanding support for the anti-apartheid struggle and stressed that attacks on law-abiding individuals contradict the principles of African solidarity.
Official 2022 statistics indicate that around 2.4 million foreign-born people live in South Africa, making up roughly four percent of the total population.
