The chairman of the Ghanaian community in Mthatha, South Africa, has advised members to remain indoors and keep their businesses closed on Thursday, 23 April, as local residents prepare to stage a protest demanding that jobs be prioritised for South African citizens.
Dr. Yirenyi Gyekye Darko said he has been in contact with local police, who gave assurances that the demonstration would be peaceful and closely monitored.
“I spoke to one of the station commanders, and he confirmed that there will be a peaceful demonstration. The police are taking precautionary measures to ensure everything remains under control,” he said.
Despite those assurances, Dr. Darko urged caution. “We have asked our people to stay indoors and not open their shops until about midday, when the situation is expected to normalise,” he said.
The protest, scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., is organised by local South Africans who argue that foreign nationals are displacing citizens from employment opportunities. Dr. Darko said the demonstrators are targeting communities of Ghanaians, Nigerians, and Zimbabweans, among others.
“The demonstrators are calling for priority to be given to South Africans. Their main concern is that foreigners have taken their jobs,” he said.
The development comes amid a broader escalation of anti-immigrant tensions across South Africa. A group calling itself the Concerned Citizens and Voters of South Africa has announced a nationwide shutdown planned for 4 May 2026, demanding the repatriation of all foreign nationals, documented or undocumented, and calling on the government to remove foreigners from public schools, hospitals, and other state services.
The Mthatha advisory follows Ghana’s diplomatic intervention at the national level. Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa held a telephone call with his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, after videos circulating online appeared to show Ghanaian nationals being targeted in xenophobic attacks. The South African government pledged investigations and committed to briefing African ambassadors on the situation.
Ablakwa confirmed that no Ghanaian fatalities had been recorded and urged calm, reaffirming the Mahama administration’s commitment to protecting citizens abroad.
