Ghana’s government has postponed bilateral meetings with South Africa that had been scheduled for August, citing a rise in violence against migrants in the country, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Ghanaian government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu told local radio station Joy FM that the violence would likely have overshadowed the August meetings, which were to be hosted by Ghana and co-chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama.
“It would be better for the two sides to meet when things have calmed down,” Kwakye Ofosu said.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told Reuters that the meetings of the South Africa-Ghana Binational Commission had been under discussion for months, and that Johannesburg learned of Ghana’s intention to postpone them when it sought to confirm the arrangements.
South Africa has witnessed waves of anti-migrant protests in recent months. While largely peaceful, the demonstrations have at times turned violent, with attacks on foreign nationals and looting of shops owned by foreigners.
Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a 30 June deadline set by a South African anti-migrant movement for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
Kwakye Ofosu said Ghana values its relationship with South Africa and that it would be appropriate for Ramaphosa to visit the country “when the issue of xenophobic attacks no longer hung over those discussions”.
Vincent Magwenya noted that South Africa and Ghana “would continue to engage through diplomatic channels to identify a mutually convenient date for the next session of the commission”.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week that a Ghanaian national was shot and killed in the Cape Town neighbourhood of Khayelitsha during anti-immigrant demonstrations on 30 June. South African police said they had no record of such an incident on that day, but noted that a Ghanaian national had been killed the day before in another Cape Town neighbourhood — an incident believed to be linked to extortion rather than anti-immigrant sentiment.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/08/mundo/africa/gana-governo-adia-reunioes-com-africa-do-sul-devido-ao-aumento-da-violencia-contra-migrantes/
