By: Hannah Dadzie
Government says it will continue to pursue diplomatic and legal avenues to ensure justice for four Ghanaians who lost their lives amid the recent xenophobic attacks and related circumstances in South Africa.
The four are Bashiru Issahaq, Kwadwo Antwi, Amoonu Jailor Nash and Ebenezer Ayi Tawiah.
Addressing a media briefing in Accra on the conclusion of the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said government remains committed to ensuring that those responsible for the deaths are held accountable.
Mr Ablakwa said Bashiru Issahaq was killed in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on June 30, 2026, during anti-immigrant violence.
He said Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria subsequently lodged a protest with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation and filed a complaint with the South African Police Service.
The Minister said government has demanded a full, transparent and expeditious investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“We will continue to demand the arrest and prosecution of those responsible,” Mr Ablakwa said.
He added that the Ghanaian government was still awaiting a response from South African authorities on the matter.
Mr Ablakwa said the government was also following developments in the cases of Kwadwo Antwi, who died in Prieska in the Northern Cape Province, and Amoonu Jailor Nash, whose death in East London is under investigation by South African police.
The mortal remains of Amoonu Jailor Nash were repatriated to Ghana on September 3 and handed over to his family for burial.
The fourth victim, Ebenezer Ayi Tawiah, died after arriving at the Kotoka International Airport on August 17. According to the Minister, he had been unable to access medical care in South Africa due to harassment by vigilante groups.
Mr Ablakwa conveyed government’s condolences to the bereaved families and assured them of continued support.
“The Government will continue to engage the South African Government to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to justice,” he said.
The deaths occurred amid a resurgence of anti-foreigner sentiment and attacks against African migrants in parts of South Africa, which prompted Ghana to undertake a four-month evacuation exercise that brought home 1,964 Ghanaians.
