By Makiza Micheline Latifa
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that government spent 49,721,786 cedis to evacuate nearly 2,000 Ghanaians from South Africa, following a fresh wave of xenophobic violence in the country.
Briefing journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra, the Minister said the disclosure was made on the authority of President John Dramani Mahama, in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Background
Ablakwa said the resurgence of anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa, particularly in Durban’s Central Business District in KwaZulu-Natal Province, dated back to April 2026. He blamed vigilante groups operating under the banners “March and March” and “Operation Dudula,” which he said had evolved from cleanup campaigns into unregulated groups targeting African nationals, stopping them in public to question their nationality, carrying out citizen’s arrests, and looting shops.
The violence claimed the lives of four Ghanaians, Bashiru Issahaq, Kwadwo Antwi, Amoonu Jailor Nash, and Ebenezer Ayi Tawiah, with the Minister confirming that Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria had lodged formal protests, pursued investigations with South African authorities, and facilitated the repatriation of remains for burial. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and pledged continued pressure on South Africa to prosecute those responsible.
Diplomatic and Continental Response
Ablakwa said Ghana raised its objections directly with South Africa, including a phone call with his counterpart and the summoning of South Africa’s Acting High Commissioner in Accra.
At the continental level, Ghana petitioned the African Union Commission in May 2026 to place the attacks on its agenda as a matter of urgent concern, and secured the backing of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to press the issue. President Mahama also raised the matter directly with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf during a visit to Accra in July. Ablakwa said the AU has since confirmed the matter will be tabled at its Summit in January 2027.
The Evacuation
Ghana began evacuating its citizens from South Africa on May 27, 2026, becoming the first country to do so, and completed the exercise on September 4 with a total of 1,964 Ghanaians airlifted home. The first flight prioritised vulnerable groups, including children, the sick, the elderly and women. The Minister said the exercise, coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria, the Presidency and the National Security Secretariat, had not been budgeted for but was necessary to protect Ghanaian lives.
Cost of Evacuation
The Minister said the total cost of the evacuation, covering flights, ground transport, feeding, accommodation, medical care, reintegration support and the repatriation of remains, came up to 49,721,786 cedis. He said government covered the bulk of the bill, while businessman Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners donated 16 million cedis toward the effort, an intervention he commended.
Ablakwa added that every evacuee received a reintegration grant along with a travel and transport allowance, and that psychologists, trauma counsellors, and faith-based and civil society groups were mobilised to support returnees. He stressed that the full amount had already been paid, with no outstanding liabilities.
Other Support Provided
Ablakwa said returnees also benefited from free medical screening by Port Health, free health insurance registration by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), free SIM cards from Airtel Tigo and Telecel, food packages from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), psychosocial and logistical support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ghana Red Cross, and free accommodation from the Church of Pentecost. He said evacuees have also been enrolled in a national database linking them to employment, entrepreneurship and skills development opportunities as part of a long-term reintegration plan.
Acknowledgements
The Minister described the evacuation as voluntary, impartial and free of discrimination, and thanked the many state agencies, private partners and airlines who supported the operation, along with staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ghana’s Mission in Pretoria. He credited President Mahama’s leadership throughout the crisis.
Diaspora Consular Fund and Other Repatriations
Ablakwa announced that the Ministry will soon launch a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund, an emergency response mechanism to swiftly support Ghanaians in distress anywhere in the world.
He noted that Ghana has repatriated a total of 4,972 citizens since 2025 from countries including Libya, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Cambodia and Algeria, and cautioned young Ghanaians against illegal recruitment agencies and human trafficking networks, citing the deaths of 62 Ghanaians in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with 15 still missing and two held as prisoners of war.
He said government has intensified efforts to clamp down on the networks responsible.
Ablakwa closed the briefing by reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, describing the evacuation as a demonstration of national solidarity.
