By Hannah Dadzie
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed the government’s appreciation to the Chairman and congregation of the Church of Pentecost for providing shelter and other assistance to more than 500 Ghanaians who fled xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Speaking during a visit to the leadership of the church at its head office in La, Mr Ablakwa said the intervention was critical in protecting affected Ghanaians, many of whom had been forced to abandon their homes and businesses due to the deteriorating security situation.
“Some of them had their shops looted. Their lives were under threat, and so they had to leave where they had made their home away from home,” he said.
He said the church sheltered about 500 Ghanaians across three branches: Kempton Park, Johannesburg and Pretoria West.
The Kempton Park branch hosted about 100 women and children, while 98 men were accommodated at the Johannesburg branch. The Pretoria West branch hosted approximately 298 Ghanaians.
The Minister said the gesture demonstrated the church’s commitment to supporting Ghanaians in distress beyond its religious mandate.
“You have demonstrated to us what it means to be a good Christian. You’ve shown that you are not only concerned about our souls, but also when we are in trouble here on earth, you will be there for us,” Mr Ablakwa said.
The Church provided free accommodation, clothing and meals for the stranded Ghanaians for more than two months while they awaited government intervention.
He said the government’s second phase of the voluntary repatriation exercise was subsequently initiated following continued appeals for assistance from Ghanaians stranded in South Africa.
Mr Ablakwa said the government was particularly touched by the intervention and that President John Dramani Mahama had directed that the Church of Pentecost be personally thanked for its support.
He said the government’s appreciation was also intended to encourage other Ghanaian institutions operating abroad to support citizens in distress, regardless of their core mandate.
Mr Ablakwa recalled that the Church of Pentecost had played a similar role during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, helping Ghanaian students flee Ukraine and cross into neighbouring countries when Ghana did not have a resident diplomatic mission in Ukraine.
The Minister also disclosed that the Foreign Ministry was considering establishing a formal framework, potentially through a Memorandum of Understanding, to strengthen cooperation between Ghana’s diplomatic missions abroad and the Church of Pentecost.
He said such collaboration could enable the church to serve as an early responder when Ghanaian nationals encounter emergencies in countries where Ghana has limited diplomatic presence.
Church welcomes proposed partnership
The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye, welcomed the proposal and called for a formalised partnership between the church and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the church could play a critical role in supporting Ghanaian nationals in crisis, particularly in countries where Ghana does not have a diplomatic mission.
“We don’t think that our job is just to preach and take people to heaven. We need to be concerned about their plight on Earth as well. That is why we do whatever we can to partner with the government to make life easier for our people,” the Church Chairman said.
Apostle Nyamekye said the church’s extensive international network gave it the capacity to mobilise quickly and provide immediate assistance to Ghanaians in distress.
The two sides are expected to explore mechanisms for formalising the collaboration to strengthen consular support and emergency response for Ghanaians living abroad.
More than 600 Ghanaians have so far been evacuated through commercial flights during the second phase of the exercise, bringing the total number of citizens repatriated since the exercise began in June to more than 1,600.
Mr Ablakwa said additional Ghanaians would be evacuated in the coming days before the conclusion of the second phase.
