Accra: The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed that two Ghanaians have been killed following a resurgence of xenophobic violence in South Africa. He detailed that the victims were attacked in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, and Prieska in the Northern Cape Province.
According to Ghana Web, Ablakwa addressed a news conference in Accra, explaining that Bashiru Isaac, 44, a father of three, was fatally shot in Khayelitsha, while Kojo Antwi was killed in Prieska on July 18. He noted that the attacks on African migrants were deeply disturbing and emphasized that the government would seek justice for the victims through diplomatic and legal channels.
Ablakwa connected the recent wave of violence to campaigns by civic groups such as March and March and Operation Dudula, whose activities have shifted from urban cleanup efforts to targeting African migrants through harassment and so-called citizen arrests. Ghana has lodged a formal protest with South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation after initially rejecting claims by South African authorities regarding a misidentification of one of the victims.
The body of Isaac was repatriated to Ghana on July 14 and taken to the 37 Military Hospital for an independent autopsy due to the absence of an official South African post-mortem report. Although Ghana has completed its own coroner's report, it awaits the South African findings for further action.
In the case of Kojo Antwi, Ablakwa stated that investigations are ongoing to determine if his death is directly linked to the xenophobic attacks and urged the public to rely on verified information. He revealed that 926 Ghanaians had been evacuated from Johannesburg between May 27 and June 7 in the first phase of an emergency evacuation exercise.
A second evacuation phase commenced on July 26, aiming to bring about 1,000 more Ghanaians home. Ablakwa mentioned that 200 had already arrived in Accra, with more expected shortly. Each returnee will receive a reintegration grant, transport allowance, food support, trauma counseling, and free registration under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Ablakwa also commended the Church of Pentecost in Pretoria and Johannesburg for providing shelter to displaced Ghanaians and praised humanitarian organizations and corporate partners for their support in the evacuation effort. Ghana has petitioned the African Union to address the recurring xenophobic attacks, highlighting that such acts threaten African unity and integration.
Reaffirming Ghana's commitment to maintaining cordial relations with South Africa, Ablakwa stressed the importance of thorough investigations and the protection of Ghanaians abroad.