SA Evacuation: Braimah describes GH¢49.7m spending controversy as 'storm in a teacup'

Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has described the controversy over the government’s GH¢49.7 million expenditure on evacuating Ghanaians from South Africa as a “storm in a teacup”.

He said although concerns about the use of public funds were legitimate, allegations of financial wrongdoing should be backed by concrete evidence.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Braimah commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for arranging the evacuation amid renewed xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals in South Africa.

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“From all that I have followed, all that I've heard, all the analysis that I've seen, until there is any additional concrete evidence to back some of these things, I think that this is, for me, a storm in a teacup,” he said.

Braimah said the reported expenditure of GH¢49.7 million for 1,964 evacuees amounted to an average of about GH¢25,000 per person.

He explained that the cost covered flights, accommodation, medication, transportation and reintegration support, including GH¢5,000 for each returnee as a reintegration package and GH¢500 for transportation.

“If you do the analysis based on the GH¢49.7 million, and if the total number of people that we are told were brought in, 1,964, is indeed the figure, it comes down to an average of about GH¢25,000 per person,” he said.

He also compared the expenditure with the GH¢84,000 reportedly spent to repatriate the bodies of two Ghanaians who died, questioning the criticism of the cost of bringing living citizens to safety.

However, Braimah stressed that defending the evacuation did not mean the government should be exempted from accountability.

“The fact that the exercise was so important does not mean accountability shouldn't matter,” he said, adding that the government must explain how the money was spent.

He further noted that GH¢16 million of the reported expenditure came from private donations, leaving about GH¢33.72 million attributable to government funding.

“We are told that out of the GH¢49.7 million, GH¢16 million of it was a private donation. So, in terms of strictly talking about public money, it is about GH¢33 point something million, and I think that distinction must also be made,” he added.

The controversy intensified after the Minority questioned the evacuation records and expenditure.

A research investigation published on October 24 reportedly identified discrepancies in payment records, including duplicate names, missing signatures and gaps in supporting receipts.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has maintained that the exercise was properly accounted for and welcomed an audit by the Auditor-General.

NA/AM