Fresh diplomatic tensions have emerged between Ghana and South Africa after the Ghanaian government declined to host Cyril Ramaphosa for a planned state visit, citing concerns over the reported killing of a Ghanaian citizen and alleged xenophobic attacks against its nationals.
President Ramaphosa was expected to visit Ghana in the first week of August as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
However, Ghanaian authorities said the visit would not proceed until concerns over the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa are adequately addressed.
The dispute follows the death of 40-year-old Ghanaian fashion designer Bashiru Isak, whom Ghana says was shot dead during demonstrations linked to renewed anti-immigrant unrest in Khayelitsha on June 30.
Ghana has lodged a formal protest with South African authorities, describing the incident as an act of xenophobic violence and demanding that those responsible be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.
South Africa has, however, disputed Ghana’s account, insisting that no fatalities were recorded during the June 30 demonstrations, which attracted thousands of protesters in different parts of the country.
Mmamoloko Kubayi accused Ghanaian officials of spreading misinformation, stating that it was unacceptable to portray South Africa as xenophobic through what she described as false claims.
The diplomatic disagreement has once again drawn attention to the safety of African migrants in South Africa, where previous outbreaks of violence targeting foreign nationals have repeatedly strained relations with other countries on the continent.
