Accra: As Ghana welcomed home a group of citizens evacuated from South Africa, the Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Presidency, Kofi Okyere-Darko, has reassured South Africans living in Ghana that no retaliatory action will be taken against them or their businesses. Speaking in an interview shared by Frontline on X, Okyere-Darko acknowledged the difficulties Ghanaians had faced on South African soil and responded to questions as to whether Ghana would respond likewise at home.
According to Ghana Web, Okyere-Darko stated, "Nothing is going to happen to South Africans living in Ghana. Their businesses will run as they should. We are not going to do anything about it." He emphasized that only 10 out of the 300 repatriated Ghanaians were illegal immigrants, highlighting the minimal scale of the issue.
Okyere-Darko reiterated Ghana's identity as a gateway to Africa, assuring that this status would remain unchanged for both diasporans and other Africans. He stated, "Ghana has always been the pathway into Africa. We mean every bit of it. The South Africans who live in Ghana, as long as they abide by the rules of this country, this is their home as well."
He further explained that Ghana's approach to integrating diasporans extends to all Africans, including South Africans. "If we are bringing diasporans back home to integrate into the Ghanaian and African societies, why not our brothers from South Africa?" he added.
Okyere-Darko dismissed any future prospects of anti-immigration protests targeting South Africans on the streets of Ghana. "There will not be any demonstration to send South Africans back home. That will not happen," he assured.
The statements came in the wake of Ghana evacuating 300 Ghanaians from South Africa amid weeks of protests and violent xenophobic attacks by some South Africans.