Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has held direct talks with his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, following viral videos showing what the minister described as deeply disturbing incidents targeting Ghanaian nationals in South Africa.
Ablakwa, speaking through a statement shared on social media, said the telephone conversation with Lamola, who serves as South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, was aimed at securing a firm official response to the incidents. He said the South African government expressed empathy with those affected and committed to full-scale investigations.
South African authorities are also expected to convene a briefing with African ambassadors as part of their diplomatic response to the situation.
The incidents gained wide attention after a video circulated online showing a South African activist confronting a Ghanaian man and other African nationals over their presence in the country, demanding they return to their home nations. The footage, which spread rapidly across social media platforms in the days leading up to Tuesday, 21 April 2026, reignited longstanding debate across the continent about anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa.
Ablakwa confirmed that Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, has been in constant contact with the ministry to coordinate the government’s response. The diplomatic mission has since identified the primary victim seen in one of the viral videos and is providing consular assistance. Ablakwa said the man has been located and is in good health, adding that no Ghanaian life has been lost.
The minister urged Ghanaians to remain calm while affirming the government’s commitment to citizen protection. He also called for continental unity, stressing that the conduct of a small number of individuals should not be allowed to erode the broader bonds of African solidarity.
