Xenophobia: 'Our citizens are at risk' - MP tackles Ablakwa over social media engagements

Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has called for a quieter diplomatic engagement between Ghana and South Africa over recent xenophobic incidents rather than public exchanges on social media.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on June 16, 2026, he said while Ghana's condemnation of xenophobic attacks is justified, the government must prioritise diplomatic negotiations to safeguard the thousands of Ghanaians still residing in the country.

According to him, Ghana has a significant population in South Africa, estimated at about 50,000 people, making it crucial for authorities to exercise caution in their approach to the matter.

“It is important that we resort to a lot of diplomatic engagement and thoughtfulness to protect the security and the safety of the huge chunks of Ghanaians in South Africa, not just those who are here,” he stated.

He expressed concern over the public exchanges between Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and South Africa's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ronald Lamola, arguing that diplomacy should not always be conducted through social media platforms.

“Diplomacy sometimes is not always running to social media. It is important that sometimes we resort to backdoor negotiations and engagement, which is clean and clear,” he indicated.

He noted that the South African minister had publicly indicated that his responses were made on social media because of the channel initially used by Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Xenophobia: Ghana considering legal action against South Africa over attacks on nationals – Ablakwa

Asafo-Adjei Ayeh warned that public disagreements between officials of the two countries could have implications for the safety of Ghanaians who remain in South Africa.

He appealed to the government to facilitate the return of about 400 Ghanaians who, according to him, have completed biometric registration processes in Pretoria and have been removed from South Africa's immigration system but are yet to be transported home.

While commending the government for evacuating some affected Ghanaians, he urged authorities not to lose sight of those still stranded.

He further stressed that xenophobia should be condemned across Africa, insisting that the responsibility for dealing with undocumented migrants lies with governments and not private citizens.

“If somebody is in your country illegally, it is not for you, the citizen, to walk them out. The government must take actions to do that,” he said.

He urged South African authorities to take decisive action against xenophobic attacks and provide protection for foreign nationals living in the country.

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