By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Ghanaian authorities have declined a planned state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, citing concerns arising from xenophobic attacks targeting Africans in the country, leading to the killing of a Ghanaian national.
This came after the death of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak, who Ghanaian government said was killed during demonstrations linked to renewed attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa on June 30, 2026.
Government sources said the decision was taken amid growing concerns over the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa and the need for urgent measures to address reported incidents of violence against foreign nationals.
President Ramaphosa was expected to visit Ghana in the first week of August, providing an opportunity for both countries to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss measures to address concerns over attacks targeting foreign nationals.
However, the Ghanaian government indicated that the current situation required attention before such high-level diplomatic engagements could could take place.
Government has also lodged an official complain over the death of Mr Isak and broader concerns regarding the safety of Ghanaian nationals in South Africa.
According to Ghanaian officials, Mr Isak was shot and killed during what they described as “anti-immigrant demonstrations linked to ongoing xenophobic attacks” in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township.
South African authorities have, however, disputed Ghana’s account of the incident, describing the claims surrounding the killing as “factually incorrect” and “not based on fact.”
The South African government said no deaths were recorded during the June 30 demonstrations, which attracted thousands of protesters in parts of the country.
South Africa’s Justice Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, said Ghana’s characterisation of the incident was misleading and risked creating a negative perception of South Africa.
“It is concerning that Ghanaian authorities continue to communicate false information about South Africa regarding developments on irregular migration,” she was quoted as saying in a statement.
“The spread of false information to perpetuate the false narrative that South Africa is xenophobic is unacceptable,” she added.
Ghana and South Africa have historically maintained strong diplomatic ties, with cooperation spanning trade, investment, diplomacy and regional affairs.
The latest disagreement, however, has introduced tensions into the relationship as both governments work to address the concerns surrounding the incident
African countries, including Nigeria have evacuated their citizens from South Africa over the anti-migrant sentiments. Nigerian government says over 800 of its citizens gave been repatriated since the renewed attacks.
Two Nigerians, Emeka Charles Iroegbu and Musa Yunana Joe, were killed in South Africa on June 28, 2026 in the ongoing attacks. South African authorities have however denied responsibility for their deaths.
