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International relations minister Ronald Lamola has strongly rejected claims made by Ghana’s foreign affairs minister Samuel Ablakwa regarding recent anti-immigrant violence in South Africa, describing them as riddled with misinformation and factual inaccuracies.
In an interview with Ghanaian broadcaster Joy Media, Ablakwa claimed that five Mozambicans and two Nigerians had lost their lives due to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Lamola expressed shock and disappointment over the remarks.
“A deeply disappointing interview, replete with misinformation,” he said.
According to Lamola, the claim that two Nigerian nationals were killed during the anti-immigrant protests is untrue and unsubstantiated.
“No Nigerian national has been killed during the current waves of attacks in South Africa,” he said.
He also corrected Ablakwa’s death toll regarding Mozambican citizens, confirming that South African officials have verified two deaths, not five.
“While there is an active South African Police Service investigation into the deaths of two Mozambican nationals — deaths we deeply regret — we trust that this matter will be thoroughly investigated, resulting in clear accountability and justice,” Lamola said. “We once again convey our sincere condolences to the government and people of Mozambique.”
The tension between the two nations comes as the government of Ghana has evacuated about 1,000 of its citizens from South Africa following escalating tensions over undocumented migration.
Ablakwa challenged South African officials by claiming that most of the departing Ghanaians were legal residents, and that only a few were still finalising their paperwork. However, South Africa’s department of home affairs and the Border Management Authority (BMA) said only 10% of the first group of 300 repatriated Ghanaians had correct documentation.
Lamola said he was unaware of Ablakwa’s claim that 15 Ghanaians were currently hospitalised in South Africa due to the violence.
“We have no information of that nature whatsoever.”
Lamola criticised Ablakwa’s approach, choosing to engage with the South African government through social media and press interviews rather than official channels, saying it undermines what should be cordial working relations.
“Let there be no misunderstanding: we will vigorously defend any frivolous or baseless lawsuit emanating from Ghana against South Africa.
“Our initial hope was simply to assist the government of Ghana in repatriating its citizens in a humane and cordial manner. However, we will not continue to tolerate these public spectacles, characterised by incomplete information and outright misinformation devoid of any diplomatic decorum.”
Despite the sharp remarks, Lamola emphasised South Africa’s ongoing commitment to regional integration. He noted that South Africa remains open to discussing the various “push and pull” factors driving migration on a bilateral level, but urged his Ghanaian counterpart to stick to the facts.
“Let us be factual in our engagements and not pander to unnecessary public spectacles that are devoid of any diplomatic decorum.”
TimesLIVE
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