Ghana halts Ramaphosa’s planned visit amid xenophobic attacks on its citizens in South Africa

Ghana has asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to postpone a planned visit to Accra, citing deep concern over an ongoing wave of anti-migrant violence in South Africa that has affected its nationals.

The trip, scheduled for August, was postponed after recent anti-immigrant protests in South Africa claimed the life of a Ghanaian citizen.

The visit had been set to bring together South Africa’s President Ramaphosa and Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama to co-chair the South Africa-Ghana Bi-National Commission.

The decision follows a surge in anti-foreigner violence in parts of South Africa in recent weeks, which has already led to the repatriation of approximately 1,000 Ghanaians, with a further 900 registered for repatriation.

The situation turned deadly on June 30, when a Ghanaian national was killed during demonstrations by xenophobic groups targeting African migrants.

Ghanaian officials say the safety and dignity of their citizens abroad remain the government’s top priority, and that a high-level visit could not be justified under the current circumstances.

Despite the diplomatic tension, both sides insist relations remain intact.

Ghana’s communications minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said Accra had sent a formal communication to Pretoria indicating it believed it best to defer the visit, while stressing that the South African government could have done more to guarantee the safety of foreign nationals.

A spokesperson for Ramaphosa’s office said the two governments had discussed the commission meetings months earlier and that Pretoria only learned of Ghana’s intention to postpone when it sought to confirm the dates.

The unrest in South Africa, driven by citizen-led anti-migrant movements, has also affected other African nations, with Nigeria and Mozambique separately reporting deaths of their nationals in recent weeks.