Accra: Dillys Edem, one of the 300 Ghanaians airlifted from South Africa due to rising xenophobic attacks, has expressed relief after her safe arrival in the country.
According to Ghana Web, Edem recounted her nearly 13-year stay in South Africa, sharing that she can finally breathe freely again. She narrated the stark difference between the anxiety she endured abroad and the peace she now feels. On Citi Eyewitness News, she reflected on her experience of constant fear and the limitations it imposed on her daily activities. "2nd July will be 13 years, I feel good to be back home because I was not free when I was there. I am always afraid. I can't walk freely, I can't do anything freely. Even to go and buy something, I have to wait till after 4. So I am afraid always," she said.
Edem described the immediate sense of safety and happiness she felt upon her return to Ghana. "But since yesterday, I feel very free. I am very happy," she expressed. She also conveyed her deep gratitude to the Ghanaian government for its swift intervention that facilitated the safe return of her and others. "I thank our President for a good job and our High Commissioner and the Foreign Affairs Minister," she added.
Her return is a part of a larger evacuation effort following weeks of heightened tensions in parts of South Africa, where foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, faced harassment, threats, and attacks. Many, like Dillys, had built lives in South Africa over the years but lived with the daily dread of becoming targets simply for being foreigners. The government-coordinated evacuation, facilitated through Ghana's High Commission in South Africa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has brought a measure of relief to families separated by fear.