Some countries in the sub African Continent are rising against South Africa following mounting attacks on their citizens.
The latest is the Ghanaian government which declined a planned state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, citing concerns over the killing of a Ghanaian national and reported xenophobic attacks targeting Ghanaians in South Africa.
President Ramaphosa was expected to visit Ghana in the first week of August as part of efforts to strengthen the longstanding diplomatic and economic ties between both nations.
However, Ghanaian authorities have postponed the visit following the death of 40-year-old Ghanaian fashion designer, Bashiru Isak, who Accra claims was killed during demonstrations linked to renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa on June 30.
Officials in Ghana said the decision reflects growing concerns over the welfare and security of Ghanaians living in South Africa, noting that protecting citizens abroad remains a top priority.
According to Ghana’s government, Isak was shot dead during anti-immigrant protests in Khayelitsha, a township in Cape Town.
The incident prompted Accra to lodge a formal protest with South African authorities and raise the matter before the African Union.
The Ghanaian government described the killing as a tragic act of xenophobic violence and called for a thorough investigation, demanding that those responsible be identified and prosecuted.
South Africa, however, has strongly disputed Ghana’s account of events.
Authorities in Pretoria insisted that no deaths were recorded during the June 30 demonstrations, which drew thousands of protesters across various parts of the country.
South African officials have rejected allegations that the protests resulted in Isak’s death or were part of a broader wave of xenophobic violence.
South Africa’s Justice Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, accused Ghanaian authorities of spreading inaccurate information capable of damaging the country’s international reputation.