Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie, has announced that President John Dramani Mahama has approved the repatriation of a new batch of 900 Ghanaian citizens who voluntarily requested to return home amid intensifying xenophobic tensions.
While many of these individuals initially harbored doubts about the evacuation, witnessing the successful airlifting and societal reintegration of earlier groups convinced them of the program’s legitimacy.
This development follows renewed anti-immigrant protests on June 30, 2026, where South African demonstrators demanded that foreigners leave the country, claiming they dominate local job markets and engage in illicit trade and criminal activities.
In response to the rising hostility, the Ghanaian government has actively evacuated its nationals using chartered flights from Johannesburg to Accra.
The repatriation effort began in late May, with an initial flight carrying 297 citizens landing in Accra on May 27, 2026. Since then, the High Commission has secured hundreds more in safe havens ahead of their scheduled departures.
Addressing the current timeline, High Commissioner Quashie explained during a media interview that administrative delays are due to required joint processing by both Ghanaian and South African authorities.
South African officials are currently managing the repatriation of Malawian nationals but are expected to shift their focus to the Ghanaian cohort by the end of the week.
Fortunately, Quashie confirmed that no Ghanaian citizens or businesses were targeted during Tuesday’s demonstrations, noting that heavy police and security presence kept the protests largely violence-free, despite isolated reports of looting in certain areas.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana