Ghana has postponed the planned state visit of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as tensions continue to grow over anti migrant protests in South Africa. The visit was originally scheduled for the first week of August and was expected to strengthen relations between the two African nations.
Ghanaian officials decided to delay the visit because they feared the president’s arrival could trigger large public demonstrations.
South Africa responded by saying both countries remain committed to maintaining strong diplomatic relations.
Viral incident fuels public anger
Public concern increased after a video spread across social media showing a Ghanaian man, Emmanuel Asamoah, being confronted in South Africa and told to return to his home country. The incident sparked outrage in Ghana and added to growing concerns about the treatment of foreign nationals.
As a result, Ghana has already brought back more than 900 citizens from South Africa. Another group of more than 900 Ghanaians is expected to return in the coming weeks as voluntary repatriation efforts continue.
Other African nations also repatriate citizens
Ghana is not the only country responding to the situation. Nigeria, Malawi, and Kenya have also started bringing home their citizens because of the ongoing anti migrant protests.
Some protest groups demanded that undocumented migrants leave South Africa before the end of June. Since then, authorities and governments have assisted in the return of around 25,000 people to their home countries.
