Ghana begin process to repatriate over 200 citizens from South Africa as some locals seize keys from foreign shop owners

Ghana authorities say ova 200 pipo don sign up for voluntary repatriation from South Africa sake of dem dey fear for dia lives.

Dem say dem dey face harassment and intimidation from South Africans as dem continue to dey ask dem to comot dia kontri.

Anti-illegal migration protests bin hapun for weeks for many parts of di kontri, wit campaigners asking illegal migrants to pack dia tins and comot South Africa.

For Mthatha, Durban, Pretoria, Estcourt, Johannesburg and oda places, hundreds of pipo protest against foreigners.

Dem allege say illegal foreigners dey responsible for crimes for di kontri wey dem also bin take all dia jobs.

Ghana authorities don condemn di harassment and intimidation of dia citizens afta dem repatriate one man Emmanuel Asamoah wey go viral wen protesters confront am for im shop.

Dem say dem find job for am wey im settle back wit im family.

Oda kontris like Nigeria, Angola togeda wit di United Nations bin chook mouth for wetin dem call 'xenophobic attacks' wey dey hapun in di name of anti-migration protests.

Dem demand say make South African authorities deal wit di mata bifor citizens of oda kontris go begin to attack South Africans for dia kontris.

South Africa authorities don deny allegation of xenophobic attacks dis time.

Di High Commission officers bin visit some communities and cities to meet wit Ghanaians to understand wetin dem dey go through and offer support.

Dem seize keys from Ghanaian business owners and odas for Estcourt

Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa Benjamin Quashie say dem dey work togeda wit di African ambassadors network to take legal action against local authorities for Estcourt wey bin seize keys of foreign business owners for dat area.

"Di mayor for Estcourt don seize keys of all foreign business owners for dia wey im carry give di locals."

According to Oga Quashie, di mayor carry di keys give di locals say make dem enta di shops and operate dis businesses.

"Di mayor give di foreigners 21 days to pack out and comot di area, we tink wetin di mayor dey do be illegal. Im collect keys from pipo wey dey operate mechanic shops and oda businesses even though di locals say dem no fit run dis businesses," di High Commissioner tok local network JoyNews.

Im add say di Nigerian High Commissioner and Angola ambassador also confam say im receive reports from Nigerians for di Estcourt area wey dem seize dia business keys.

"We get close to 25 Ghanaians wey dey affected for dis area wia dem close dia businesses. We go challenge di mayor wit di law, im no fit do wetin im dey do."

"We dey condemn wetin di mayor dey do, we go ensure say di foreigners get dia keys back. We carry statement of dis affected pipo to di legal department of di African ambassadors group wey dem go soon go court," di High Commissioner explain.

Ghanaian authorities say dem bin discuss wit di South African foreign ministry di tins wey dey hapun, wey dem no fit control di anger of citizens of oda kontris if dis tins continue.

Ghana go bear di cost of repatriating dia citizens

Ghana authorities say as at Monday 11 May 2026, ova 200 pipo don sign up wit di High Commission say dem wan go back to Ghana.

"Any Ghanaian wey feel say dia life dey in danger for South Africa gatz reach out to di high commission through di contact numbers and email."

Benjamin Quashie add say, "di foreign affairs minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa don tell us to gather di names of di Ghanaians wey wan come home, im say make we begin to process dem immediately."

"Di citizens wey no get passport, we go get dem travel certificates, di ministry go take di cost of dis tins to ensure say we carry dem come back home. We no wan leave any Ghanaian at di mercy of South Africans."

Figures don show say close to 20,000 Ghanaians bin dey South Africa wey dem dey do various businesses, some dey teach, some dey work for medical field, di mines, odas dey do small businesses.

But wit di way tins dey go, most of dem say dem no dey feel safe anymore.

Ghana High Commissioner say afta dem repatriate dis citizens, dem also dey explore how to integrate dem for society and find dem jobs wey dem fit take sustain diaserf and dia families.

"Some business pipo for Ghana don reach out to di foreign ministry wey wan support dis citizens wit jobs wen dem return to di kontri."

Wen e come to timeline wen dem go carry di citizens go Ghana, di High Commissioner say dem no get any timeline for now.

"We no get any timeline, as we get di number of pipo, di ministry go facilitate dia repatriation, we go make flight available make e carry dem come Ghana," im tok inside di interview wit JoyNews.

Authorities say any pesin wey no dey feel safe for South Africa gatz reach out to di High Commission to register for dis repatriation.

For di 'March on March' group and oda anti-illegal migration protesters, dem go continue to demonstrate till di end of di year until di South Africa govment deal wit illegal and undocumented immigrants and create jobs for di locals.

Cyril Ramaphosa condemn 'recent violent protests' for open letter to di public

Meanwhile, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa don say im no go tolerate violent protests targeted at foreigners for parts of di kontri.

Inside one open letter, di president say di attacks no be govment policy.

Im say "di attacks be action of opportunists wey dey exploit di frustration of poor communities."

President Ramaphosa say some pipo don take di law into dia hand wey dem dey do di work of state and security officials – by stopping pipo and asking for dia IDs and oda documents wey dem dey search pipo dia private property.

"We no go tolerate dis kain lawlessness, we no care who di pipo wey dey do am and who di victims be."

Di South Africa president gree say di kontri dey face issue wit illegal immigration as "undocumented migration dey put pressure on top healthcare, housing and oda services for poorer communities."

Im also blame employers wey dey pay foreigners low wages wey dem dey exploit dem instead say dem go pay regular wages for di locals.

Cyril Ramaphosa say di kontris authorities dey work to deal wit di border control wahala wey dem also go gbab employers wey dey exploit foreigners wit cheap labour.

Meanwhile, Ghana don already petition di Africa Union to consider di issue of xenophobia for South Africa for dia mid-year coordination meeting wey suppose happun for Egypt in June.

Ghana want make di AU deal wit di mata well well to find wetin dem describe as "lasting solution" to dis mata bifor tins go scata and oda kontris go begin reprisal attacks for South Africans for dia kontris.