Video as South Africans Attack Ghanaian Immigrants, Ask Them to Leave Country
- Viral videos have surfaced on social media showing South Africans confronting and harassing Ghanaian migrants in various locations
- Ghana’s Foreign Minister held urgent talks with South African officials to ensure the protection of foreign nationals
- Community leaders in Mthatha alerted residents about planned protests and potential risks to immigrants in the Eastern Cape
Tensions are rising in South Africa following the circulation of videos showing citizens harassing African migrants.
The footage has sparked fresh fears of xenophobic violence across the region.
Source: Facebook
One clip captures a group of locals as they confront a Ghanaian man and order him to return home.
The woman in the video told the man that the migration trend is no longer acceptable. She claimed that locals are tired of seeing people move across the world instead of improving their own nations. The group also accused the migrant of illegally integrating into the community after he arrived in the country as a visitor.
Hostility spreads through social media platforms
Another video showed a male local questioning the validity of the Ghanaian man's documents. He forced the victim to warn others from his country to leave South Africa to avoid being targeted.
Further footage reportedly shows the physical assault of another man. A separate clip features a resident who complains that foreigners sleep comfortably while locals remain in the cold.
These incidents coincide with planned demonstrations in Mthatha within the Eastern Cape province. Residents organized the protest for Thursday, April 23, to address concerns regarding the presence of foreign nationals.
They claim that migrants are limiting the job opportunities available to South African citizens.
Ghana calls for urgent safety measures
Samuel Ablakwa, Ghana’s minister for foreign affairs, described the videos as "extremely disturbing". He spoke with Ronald Lamola, his South African counterpart, to address the situation on Wednesday, April 22. Ablakwa confirmed that the South African government promised to look into the matter.
"The South African Foreign Minister has expressed his empathy with the victims and promised full scale investigations into the depressing incidents," he said.
The Ghanaian high commission has located the victim from the video to provide support. Ablakwa stated that the man is doing well and that no lives have been lost. He asked citizens to remain calm and maintain faith in the collective ability of the government to protect them.
Foreign nationals remain on high alert
Yirenyi Darko, the chairman of the Ghanaian community in Mthatha, expressed concerns for the safety of all Africans. He specifically mentioned Nigerians and Zimbabweans as potential targets for the upcoming protests.
Darko noted that while the situation in the Eastern Cape is currently less extreme than in other areas, the overall atmosphere is deeply worrying.
"We are only trusting God for protection. For now, in the Eastern Cape, it is not as extreme as in other provinces, and there has not been recent harassment in Mthatha. But generally, the situation remains worrying," Darko stated.
He advised members of the Ghanaian community to take precautions to stay safe.
Angry protesters storm Anambra government house
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that residents of Achalla community in Awka North local government area of Anambra state have protested what they called incessant cases of insecurity in their community.
About two thousand residents stormed Anambra government house, also known as 'Light House' on Thursday, February 5, where they registered their plights to the state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo.
Source: Legit.ng
