A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Communications Team, Kwasi Kwarteng, has called on the African Union (AU) to urgently summon South Africa over recent xenophobic tensions targeting foreign nationals.
His comments follow weeks of reported violence and unrest in parts of South Africa, where foreign-owned shops have been attacked and migrants chased away during protests against illegal immigration.
The situation has triggered evacuation efforts by the Government of Ghana, with the first batch of about 300 citizens, out of an expected 800, arriving in Accra on Wednesday, May 27.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily show on Thursday, May 28, Kwarteng said the AU must take immediate diplomatic action to address the recurring attacks.
“I am aware, and I’ve read that Mr Ablakwa, our Foreign Affairs Minister, has submitted a petition before the AU and I commend him for that. The AU, as a matter of urgency, should summon South Africa,” he said.
According to him, the xenophobic tensions in South Africa are largely rooted in structural economic challenges, inequality and political manipulation rather than the presence of foreign migrants.
The NPP communicator argued that South African politicians often weaponise anti-foreigner sentiments during election periods instead of addressing unemployment and poverty.
“Usually when it is getting close to election year, they say it is Nigerians, it is Ghanaians that are causing the problem so that the politicians absolve themselves completely,” he stated.
Kwarteng noted that South Africa continues to battle deep economic inequalities, high unemployment and violent crime rates, which he believes have contributed to frustrations among sections of the population.
He further claimed that foreign nationals have repeatedly become scapegoats for the country’s socio-economic difficulties.
The NPP communicator, however, urged African countries and affected nationals to pursue diplomatic solutions instead of retaliatory actions.
Modernghana.com
