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Ghana’s government has condemned the killing of one of its citizens in South Africa, demanding swift justice as xenophobic tensions boil over in the country once again.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bashiru Isak, 40, was shot dead in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on Monday during anti-immigrant demonstrations tied to a wave of xenophobic attacks sweeping South African cities.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Accra called the killing a “senseless act of violence” and condemned the rising tide of xenophobia targeting African nationals, including Ghanaians, in South Africa.
Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria has formally protested the killing to South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation and filed a complaint with the South African Police Service. An autopsy has been carried out on Isak’s body, and authorities have notified his family.
Accra is now pushing for a full, transparent and expedited investigation, demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible. The government also renewed its call for stronger protection of Ghanaian nationals in affected communities.
Plans are underway to repatriate Isak’s remains to Ghana for burial. The Ministry extended condolences to his family and urged Ghanaians who choose to remain in South Africa to stay vigilant, avoid high-risk areas, and contact the High Commission’s 24-hour emergency lines if in danger.
Ghana said its earlier petition to the African Union Commission over xenophobic attacks on African nationals in South Africa remains active, and it expects the AU to treat the matter with urgency at its next statutory meeting.
The killing adds to a string of xenophobic incidents that have strained relations between Pretoria and its African neighbours in recent months, with Ghana having already repatriated hundreds of citizens earlier this year amid similar unrest.
