Ghana Postpones Ramaphosa's August Visit as 900 Citizens Return From South Africa
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 7
Ghana Postpones Ramaphosa's August Visit as 900 Citizens Return From South Africa
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 7
Summary
Ghana said Tuesday it has deferred President Cyril Ramaphosa's planned first-week-of-August state visit, judging the xenophobia row too volatile for now.
More than 900 Ghanaians have already been repatriated from South Africa, with another batch of over 900 expected in coming weeks after anti-migrant protests intensified.
The dispute worsened after a viral video showed a Ghanaian being told to leave South Africa and after Ghana condemned the alleged 30 June killing of a 40-year-old national, a claim Pretoria disputes.
South Africa says diplomatic engagement will continue to find a new date, but the two governments also clash over whether most Ghanaian migrants had valid residency papers.
About 25,000 migrants from several African countries have been repatriated so far, and analysts warn South Africa risks wider continental isolation if the protests and tensions persist.