South African authorities have pledged to crack down on xenophobic violence targeting Ghanaians and other foreign nationals, following a formal protest by Ghana over disturbing videos circulating online.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, summoned South Africa’s envoy on Thursday, urging immediate intervention to prevent further escalation. The move came after footage emerged showing foreign nationals being harassed and threatened.
Migrant rights groups say foreigners in South Africa are increasingly being scapegoated amid ongoing economic hardships, with tensions periodically spilling over into violence.
According to Ghanaian officials, one widely shared incident in KwaZulu-Natal involved a Ghanaian national being confronted, asked to prove his legal status, and told to leave the country and “fix his country.”
South Africa’s police ministry said those responsible for xenophobic acts—whether participating directly or inciting violence—would be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.
“Acts of lawlessness, intimidation and violence against migrant communities have no place in our constitutional democracy,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola during a government meeting.
Lamola warned that attacks on migrants threaten the country’s constitutional order, while police called on community leaders and civil society groups to help defuse tensions and promote dialogue.