President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently sent a delegation to Ghana to engage his government on the recurring xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.
The President made the revelation on Wednesday, July 22, during talks with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssou, at the Jubilee House in Accra.
President Mahama said he used the meeting with the South African delegation to emphasise the importance of confronting the issue openly rather than avoiding difficult conversations.
He explained that Ghana’s decision to speak out on the attacks was not intended to undermine relations with South Africa but to encourage transparency and ensure the matter receives the attention it deserves.
“On, July 21, President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a delegation to me, and I explained the reason why we need to discuss it. Sometimes these things happen, and we want to sweep them under the carpet, but when we do that, we do not cure what the problem is,” he said.
The President stressed that Ghana’s position is not driven by hostility towards South Africa but by a desire to create an opportunity for the country to explain the steps it is taking to address the attacks.
“I told them that Ghana does not harbour any malice against South Africa, but we are raising it so it gives them the platform to explain what they are doing to the world,” he added.
President Mahama also renewed his appeal to the African Union to play a more proactive role in addressing the recurring incidents, describing xenophobic attacks as a setback to the continent’s efforts to promote unity, integration and solidarity.
He further disclosed that Ghana has incurred significant costs in evacuating its citizens from South Africa in the wake of the attacks.
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