Ghana’s Ambassador to South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie, has accused the Mayor of Estcourt of fuelling xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians and other foreign nationals in the area.
According to the envoy, the mayor has allegedly been confiscating businesses owned by Ghanaians and handing them over to locals despite the operators possessing valid documents to work in the country.
The development follows recent reports of violent attacks on foreign nationals in parts of South Africa, where some locals are alleged to have targeted African migrants over employment and economic tensions.
Some of the incidents reportedly resulted in deaths, destruction of property and the displacement of affected migrants from their homes and businesses.
Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, May 11, Ambassador Quashie claimed the mayor had issued an ultimatum ordering foreigners to leave Estcourt within days.
“Yesterday, he gave a countdown that is left with 17 days for every foreigner to leave Estcourt. And we believe that we also put in mechanisms where we believe that we’ll challenge him with the law and ensure that what he’s doing he stops doing it,” he said.
The Ambassador stressed that many of the affected Ghanaians were legally resident and operating legitimate businesses in the country.
“The mayor comes and says that you are a foreigner, you are a foreign immigrant, we don’t want you here. So where are your keys to your offices? They give the keys, trying to be law abiding, and then they give the keys to the mayor,” he alleged.
According to him, the mayor would then hand over the businesses to locals, including some previously employed by the Ghanaian business owners.
Ambassador Quashie said Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was actively engaging the matter to ensure the rights of affected Ghanaians are protected.
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