The Minority in Parliament has called for an immediate briefing from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over reports of a government-sponsored evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks in the country.
The call was made by Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Patrick Yaw Boamah, who argued that Parliament must be fully informed on developments to prevent misinformation and ensure a coordinated diplomatic response.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Boamah highlighted the estimated size of the Ghanaian community in South Africa, put at between 25,000 and 30,000 nationals, and stressed the need for clear communication from the Foreign ministry.
“We know that there are over 25,000 to 30,000 Ghanaian nationals in South Africa. It will be very good for the Foreign Minister to come and brief the House because we don’t want any propaganda, misrepresentation, or any form of unconventional diplomatic means to be adopted”, he said. He emphasised that timely parliamentary engagement would help ensure transparency and avoid conflicting narratives on the situation.
Mr Boamah underscored the long-standing diplomatic and economic relationship between Ghana and South Africa, noting the significant investments South African companies have made in Ghana. “Ghana and South Africa have enjoyed an enormous diplomatic relationship. Look at the investment South Africans have in Ghana, MTN, Stanbic Bank, a lot of investment, Gold Fields, and other companies, and what they’ve brought into this country in terms of jobs, in terms of revenue,” he said
He added that Parliament has a responsibility to support the executive in safeguarding bilateral relations and ensuring that emerging tensions are properly managed through formal diplomatic channels. So our push is for the Foreign Minister to come and brief the House so that we can also, as a House and as a Parliament, assist in ensuring that the diplomatic relationship between Ghana and South Africa is not ruined so that any issue that the government or the Foreign Minister has with some of the issues that he thinks must be addressed, the House can also be apprised of so that we will address it,” he said.
Mr Boamah also pointed to recent statements from South African officials, suggesting inconsistencies that may require clarification through official diplomatic engagement.
If you listen to some of the press conferences by the South African foreign minister, he is not accepting what our Foreign Minister is putting out there. So it means there’s some issue that has to be addressed if the Foreign Minister appears and we ask him questions,” he stated.
The MP raised concerns about the number of Ghanaians evacuated so far and the status of those who have not registered for evacuation. “If you registered over 1,500 Ghanaians, and you’ve been able to evacuate only 300, what is happening to the rest of our nationals? What is going to happen with those who did not register?” Mr Boamah questioned.
He noted that many Ghanaians occupy senior positions across South African institutions, including municipal administrations, the defence sector, and financial organisations, emphasising the potential wider impact of the crisis.
“We don’t want this situation to derail our relationship with South Africa. So it’s very important that a Foreign Minister appears before the House,” he added.
Mr Boamah stressed that parliamentary scrutiny would allow the issues to be addressed dispassionately.
Acknowledging potential concerns on both sides, he said Parliament could assist in resolving the matter. “The South Africans may have a case with immigration or migration issues. We may also have a point as a house to assist in addressing the matter. So I think our call must be heeded by the leadership of Parliament, by the speakership, to invite the foreign minister,” he said.
Highlighting the delay in action, Mr Boamah added: “It’s getting to over a month now. We haven’t heard from the Foreign Minister on this particular issue, a very important issue. And we think it’s about time that we put on some pressure or pile on some pressure to get him to appear before the House.”
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