Ghana don postpone the visit of South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa for first week of August, because of xenophobic rallies wey don make hundreds of Ghanaian citizens repatriate from South Africa.
Government spokesman Felix Kwakye Ofosu tell BBC say the visit no go happen for now. We send dem communication say e better to defer the visit because of the present climate around xenophobia, e explain.
South Africa presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya tell BBC say the country still dey committed to deepening cooperation between the two sister nations and advancing the African Agenda. The two countries go continue to engage through diplomatic channels to find a mutually convenient date, e add. E say e no be state visit as Ghana officials describe am, but the third in a series of bilateral meetings.
Diplomatic tension between the two countries heighten after a video wey go viral show Emmanuel Asamoah, a young Ghanaian wey dey live for South Africa, wey dem confront and tell am say go fix your country.
Ghana don repatriate more than 900 citizens from South Africa, and the last batch of over 900 others dey expected to come back for the coming weeks. Other African countries like Nigeria, Malawi, and Kenya don also repatriate dem nationals from South Africa because of ongoing protests against foreigners.
Some groups give undocumented migrants deadline of 30 June to leave the country, and about 25,000 don repatriate so far. Ramaphosa say people get right to protest as long as dem dey peaceful. E also say e go do more to tackle irregular migration.
The row escalate last week when Ghana condemn the alleged killing of Bahiru Isak, a 40-year-old Ghanaian national wey dey live for Khayelitsha suburb of Cape Town for South Africa. Ghanaian officials say dem kill am during anti-immigration protests on 30 June. South African authorities however say no such killing happen, and insist the only Ghanaian victim na 35-year-old Kwabena Boagen wey dem say death no relate to protests.
South Africa justice minister accuse Ghana of spreading false information about South Africa regarding developments on irregular migration. There also legal question for the heart of the rift between Ghana and South Africa: Accra claim most of dem nationals wey dey live for South Africa get necessary residency papers, but Pretoria disagree. Neither country don provide evidence to support dem claims.
For May, Ghana petition the African Union over the recurring xenophobia for South Africa, urging action and fact-finding mission to address attacks on foreigners, wey contravene the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. Analysts say South Africa dey risk political isolation for the continent if urgent measures no dey taken to address anti-immigration protests and diplomatic tensions.
Xenophobia no be new thing for South Africa, with dem dey blame foreigners for unemployment and crime. But many citizens of other African nations want black South Africans to no forget the support and solidarity dem receive from fellow Africans during anti-apartheid struggle through to South Africa transition into multi-racial democracy wey e dey today.
