Accra: Several Ghanaians have expressed strong opposition to the renewal of the mining lease for Gold Fields' Tarkwa Mine, following recent xenophobic attacks against Ghanaian nationals living in South Africa. The development comes after the government evacuated 300 Ghanaians from South Africa amid fears of further attacks by South African nationals.
According to Ghana Web, notable personalities who have spoken against the renewal include legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor, policy analyst Kofi Bentil, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Eric Adjei, and New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Eric Twum, among others. Barker-Vormawor has argued that the government should consider reciprocal economic or regulatory measures against South African-owned companies such as Gold Fields, MTN, and DStv, in response to the treatment of Ghanaians in South Africa.
Kofi Bentil also echoed concerns about Ghana's response, noting that the country has not taken broad retaliatory action against South African businesses such as MTN, DStv, and Shoprite despite the alleged mistreatment of Ghanaians in South Africa. He described the opposition to the Gold Fields lease renewal as a limited and measured response rather than a full-scale escalation.
Eric Adjei, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), has also called on the government not to renew the mining lease of Gold Fields for the Tarkwa mine, citing recent xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians in South Africa as part of the basis for his position. In a post shared on X, Adjei argued that Ghana should prioritise local companies in the management of its natural resources.
A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team, Eric Twum, has also called on African countries to suspend economic and commercial engagements with South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals. According to him, repeated attacks on foreign nationals living and working in South Africa threaten the vision of African unity and cooperation.
Twum emphasized on Channel One TV's Breakfast Daily that the recurring incidents undermine regional integration efforts, particularly as African countries seek to deepen trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He urged a boycott of South African businesses as a firm response to compel stronger action against xenophobic violence.