Ghanaians Evacuate South Africa Amid Rising Xenophobic Tensions
PRETORIA – A large number of Ghanaians arrived at the Ghanaian embassy in Pretoria yesterday for screening and verification as the evacuation process from South Africa begins.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, recently announced that 826 Ghanaians have registered to be evacuated due to the recent anti-migration protests across the country. The screening process is underway for the first 300 Ghanaians scheduled to depart on Wednesday.
The nationwide protests, led by the interest group March and March in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape, have demanded that non-South Africans leave the country by the end of June.
Quashie stated that while there are over 16,000 Ghanaians residing in South Africa, the majority of whom are legally present and law-abiding, the prevailing climate of intimidation has prompted many to seek repatriation.
“The government of Ghana feels that it is time to bring those who feel unsafe in this country back home, to reintegrate them into the Ghanaian society. We have 800 people going to Ghana, writing their names, who have volunteered to leave South Africa. But the first screening is for 300 people, which is a process we began today, it will go into tomorrow, and then we’ll have the first 300 that leave on Wednesday,” Quashie explained.
Regarding the ongoing protests, Quashie stated, “I think that we don’t have to mince words in calling it xenophobic attacks. I believe that the things that have been happening across the country, where people take the law into their own hands, are a challenge. But I also believe that this will not put a strain on the diplomatic relationship between South Africa and Ghana. The only thing is that we should move from talking and get to action.”
Among those present for the screening was 22-year-old Sylvester Boakye, who previously made headlines after mistakenly arriving at OR Tambo International Airport last week due to a miscommunication regarding the chartered flight to Ghana. Boakye, a hairdresser for the past two years, shared that his attempts to return home were hindered by financial constraints and encounters with corrupt officials who demanded bribes.
“When I missed my flight on my visit to South Africa, I could not raise enough money to go back home. A fellow Ghanaian tried to help me and gave me a job. I tried to raise enough money to return home, but things became too difficult as the little money I would make would be taken from me by corrupt officials, who always target us for bribes,” he stated.
Another Ghanaian resident, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted experiencing numerous physical attacks during his ten-year stay in South Africa, including a recent incident in Meadowlands, Soweto.
“I was attacked by a group of guys in Meadowlands, who were speaking in the local language. Unfortunately, I could not speak their language. They then kicked me and beat me up. That is why I have run to the embassy because I want to go home,” he shared.
Earlier this month, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya affirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa expects law enforcement to act against violent protesters and emphasized that South Africans are not xenophobic. These statements followed widespread demonstrations against undocumented immigrants across several major cities.
