By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
The High Commissioner of Ghana in South Africa has said that no fewer than 300 Ghanaians will voluntarily return to Ghana on Wednesday. This follows violent attacks against immigrants in South Africa, which have continued to heighten safety concerns. Speaking, the High Commissioner, Mr. Benjamin Kofi Quashie, noted that the first batch of Ghanaians to be moved back to Ghana comprises 300 and that they will leave on Wednesday, in line with Ghana’s earlier promise to return its citizens who are willing and volunteer to do so. The exercise, he said, is due to some Ghanaian citizens who are no longer feeling safe in South Africa. “They want to be repatriated back home, and on Wednesday, they will be part of the people returning home. Their life has come to a standstill, and they no longer feel safe…They don’t have a reason why they should remain in this country,” Mr. Quashie said.
Ghana’s High Commissioner also frowned at the ongoing violence against immigrants in South Africa and cautioned that the disrespect for authority by the leaders of the movement is against the ethos of the African Union, while pointing out that Ghana does not support illegal immigration, yet in Ghana, they do not hunt foreigners on the street. He also noted that listening to the leaders of the movement makes him “feel ashamed.” The High Commissioner further revealed that some citizens of Ghana have been attacked.
After the repatriation, Mr. Benjamin Quashie noted that the next batch of 300 people due to return to Ghana will follow, days after the repatriation on Wednesday.
For months, South Africans have trooped to the streets to protest against foreigners, leading to violence and looting. Efforts by the government of South Africa to contain the situation have not yielded fruit. However, while some people blame the South African government for not doing enough to stop the violence against foreigners, others have called the situation in South Africa “Afrophobia” instead of mere xenophobia.
