Ghana imekataa ombi la ziara ya kiserikali ya Rais wa Afrika Kusini, Cyril Ramaphosa, huku kukiwa na uhusiano mbaya unaosababishwa na wimbi la mashambulizi dhidi ya wageni (xenophobia) yanayowalenga raia wa mataifa mengine ya Afrika ikiwemo Ghana wanaoishi nchini Afrika Kusini.
Msemaji wa Ghana, Felix Kwakye Ofosu aliiambia kituo cha redio cha huko cha Joy FM kuwa ghasia hizo huenda zingeondoa umuhimu wa mikutano hiyo ya Agosti, ambayo yangefanyika Ghana na kuongozwa kwa pamoja na Rais wa Afrika Kusini Cyril Ramaphosa na Rais wa Ghana John Dramani Mahama.
Msemaji wa Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, aliiambia Reuters kuwa mikutano hiyo ya Tume ya Mataifa Mawili kati ya Afrika Kusini na Ghana ilijadiliwa miezi kadhaa iliyopita, na Johannesburg ilipata taarifa za nia ya Ghana kuisogeza mbele pale ilipotaka kuthibitisha tarehe za mikutano hiyo.
Afrika Kusini imeshuhudia mawimbi ya maandamano dhidi ya wahamiaji katika miezi michache iliyopita ambayo kwa kiasi kikubwa yamekuwa ya amani, ingawa nyakati nyingine yamegeuka kuwa ya ghasia, yakihusisha mashambulizi dhidi ya raia wa kigeni na kuporwa kwa maduka yanayomilikiwa na wageni.
Ghana iliwarudisha nyumbani mamia ya raia wake kabla ya tarehe ya mwisho ya Juni 30 iliyowekwa na vuguvugu la Afrika Kusini linalopinga wahamiaji, likitaka wageni wasio na nyaraka waondoke. Wizara ya mambo ya nje ya Ghana ilisema wiki iliyopita kuwa raia mmoja wa Ghana alipigwa risasi na kuuawa katika mtaa wa Khayelitsha mjini Cape Town wakati wa maandamano dhidi ya wahamiaji mnamo Juni 30, 2026
Hata hivyo, jeshi la polisi la Afrika Kusini lilisema halina kumbukumbu ya tukio kama hilo siku hiyo. Walisema kuwa raia mmoja wa Ghana aliuawa siku moja kabla katika makazi tofauti huko Cape Town, lakini tukio hilo linasadikiwa kuhusiana na masuala ya unyang'anyi wa fedha na si chuki dhidi ya wageni.
Soma pia
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Ghana has postponed bilateral meetings with South Africa that were planned for next month because of a surge in anti-migrant violence in the country, Ghana's government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu told local radio station Joy FM the violence would probably have overshadowed the August meetings, which were set to be hosted by Ghana and co-chaired by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama.
It would be better for the two sides to meet "when matters settle," Kwakye Ofosu said.
Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told Reuters the meetings of the South Africa-Ghana Bi-National Commission had been discussed months ago and Johannesburg learned about Ghana's intention to defer them when it sought to confirm them.
South Africa has seen waves of anti-migrant protests over the past few months which have been mostly peaceful but at times turned violent, with attacks on foreign nationals and looting of foreign-owned shops.
Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a June 30 "deadline" set by a South African anti-migrant movement for undocumented foreigners to leave.
Kwakye Ofosu said Ghana valued its relationship with South Africa and it would be appropriate for Ramaphosa to visit "when the issue of xenophobic attacks no longer hangs over such discussions".
Magwenya said South Africa and Ghana would "continue to engage through diplomatic channels to identify a mutually convenient date for the next session of the commission."
Ghana's foreign ministry said last week that a Ghanaian national was shot dead in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township during anti-immigrant demonstrations on June 30.
South African police said they had no record of such an incident on that day.
They said a Ghanaian national was killed a day earlier in a different Cape Town settlement but that incident was believed to be linked to extortion, not anti-migrant sentiment.
Source: Reuters
Msemaji wa Ghana, Felix Kwakye Ofosu aliiambia kituo cha redio cha huko cha Joy FM kuwa ghasia hizo huenda zingeondoa umuhimu wa mikutano hiyo ya Agosti, ambayo yangefanyika Ghana na kuongozwa kwa pamoja na Rais wa Afrika Kusini Cyril Ramaphosa na Rais wa Ghana John Dramani Mahama.
Msemaji wa Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, aliiambia Reuters kuwa mikutano hiyo ya Tume ya Mataifa Mawili kati ya Afrika Kusini na Ghana ilijadiliwa miezi kadhaa iliyopita, na Johannesburg ilipata taarifa za nia ya Ghana kuisogeza mbele pale ilipotaka kuthibitisha tarehe za mikutano hiyo.
Afrika Kusini imeshuhudia mawimbi ya maandamano dhidi ya wahamiaji katika miezi michache iliyopita ambayo kwa kiasi kikubwa yamekuwa ya amani, ingawa nyakati nyingine yamegeuka kuwa ya ghasia, yakihusisha mashambulizi dhidi ya raia wa kigeni na kuporwa kwa maduka yanayomilikiwa na wageni.
Ghana iliwarudisha nyumbani mamia ya raia wake kabla ya tarehe ya mwisho ya Juni 30 iliyowekwa na vuguvugu la Afrika Kusini linalopinga wahamiaji, likitaka wageni wasio na nyaraka waondoke. Wizara ya mambo ya nje ya Ghana ilisema wiki iliyopita kuwa raia mmoja wa Ghana alipigwa risasi na kuuawa katika mtaa wa Khayelitsha mjini Cape Town wakati wa maandamano dhidi ya wahamiaji mnamo Juni 30, 2026
Hata hivyo, jeshi la polisi la Afrika Kusini lilisema halina kumbukumbu ya tukio kama hilo siku hiyo. Walisema kuwa raia mmoja wa Ghana aliuawa siku moja kabla katika makazi tofauti huko Cape Town, lakini tukio hilo linasadikiwa kuhusiana na masuala ya unyang'anyi wa fedha na si chuki dhidi ya wageni.
Soma pia
===========
Ghana has postponed bilateral meetings with South Africa that were planned for next month because of a surge in anti-migrant violence in the country, Ghana's government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu told local radio station Joy FM the violence would probably have overshadowed the August meetings, which were set to be hosted by Ghana and co-chaired by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama.
It would be better for the two sides to meet "when matters settle," Kwakye Ofosu said.
Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told Reuters the meetings of the South Africa-Ghana Bi-National Commission had been discussed months ago and Johannesburg learned about Ghana's intention to defer them when it sought to confirm them.
South Africa has seen waves of anti-migrant protests over the past few months which have been mostly peaceful but at times turned violent, with attacks on foreign nationals and looting of foreign-owned shops.
Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a June 30 "deadline" set by a South African anti-migrant movement for undocumented foreigners to leave.
Kwakye Ofosu said Ghana valued its relationship with South Africa and it would be appropriate for Ramaphosa to visit "when the issue of xenophobic attacks no longer hangs over such discussions".
Magwenya said South Africa and Ghana would "continue to engage through diplomatic channels to identify a mutually convenient date for the next session of the commission."
Ghana's foreign ministry said last week that a Ghanaian national was shot dead in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township during anti-immigrant demonstrations on June 30.
South African police said they had no record of such an incident on that day.
They said a Ghanaian national was killed a day earlier in a different Cape Town settlement but that incident was believed to be linked to extortion, not anti-migrant sentiment.
Source: Reuters