Ghana Postpones South African President Ramaphosa's Visit Over Xenophobia

The Government of Ghana has postponed a planned early August visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The decision follows a surge in xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa, which led to the repatriation of hundreds of Ghanaian nationals and prompted Ghana to petition the African Union to investigate the violence.

The diplomatic row centers on the death of Ghanaian national Bahiru Isak in Cape Town on June 30. While Ghana links the death to the anti-migrant unrest, South African authorities and the Ministry of Justice of South Africa maintain the killing was an extortion-related shooting in a barbershop and unrelated to the protests. Additionally, the two nations disagree on the nature of the trip, with Accra calling it a state visit and Pretoria describing it as an official visit to co-chair a binational commission.

Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated the visit was deferred to prevent the crisis from overshadowing the agenda, though he emphasized the move is not a diplomatic snub. The Government of South Africa denied that tensions should exist between the two countries and accused the Ghanaian foreign ministry of using anti-South African rhetoric. Other nations, including Nigeria, Malawi, and Kenya, have also evacuated their citizens from South Africa amid the unrest.