The Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ishmael Yamson, has apologised for the company’s delay in publicly condemning the recent xenophobic attacks targeting Ghanaians and other African nationals in South Africa.
Dr Yamson acknowledged that, given MTN Ghana’s size and influence in the country, the company should have issued a direct statement earlier, despite condemnation already expressed by the South Africa Ghana Business Chamber and MTN’s leadership in South Africa.
“I apologise that we haven’t done that,” he said.
Speaking on the issue, Dr Yamson noted that businesses in South Africa had publicly denounced the violence, including the MTN chairman in South Africa, who he said had spoken strongly against the attacks.
He nevertheless accepted that Ghanaians expected a separate response from MTN Ghana.
“If you come to Ghana, MTN is big, and therefore, everybody would expect MTN to come out and issue a statement,” he said.
Dr Yamson used the opportunity to unequivocally distance MTN Ghana from the attacks and expressed concern over the treatment of African migrants in South Africa.
“Let me say now here that we condemn it unreservedly. We have nothing to do with it. We dissociate ourselves from it completely,” he stated.
He argued that South Africa’s treatment of African migrants was inconsistent with the country’s broader role in promoting continental integration.
“What is happening in South Africa is bad. And I can tell you that we are angry,” Dr Yamson said, stressing his frustration over what he described as a contradiction between South Africa’s continental ambitions and hostility towards other Africans.
Warning Against Retaliation
While condemning the attacks, Dr Yamson also cautioned against retaliatory action against South African-owned businesses operating in Ghana.
He argued that targeting such companies could ultimately cause economic harm to Ghanaians themselves.
Using MTN Ghana as an example, he pointed out that the company has more than 120,000 Ghanaian shareholders and that approximately 98 per cent of its workforce is Ghanaian.
“MTN Ghana is a corporate citizen of Ghana. It is not MTN South Africa,” he said.
Dr Yamson further highlighted MTN Ghana’s contribution to the Ghanaian economy, describing the company as the country’s largest taxpayer.
He stressed that MTN Ghana operates under Ghanaian law and maintained that the company had fulfilled its obligations in the country.
“MTN Ghana has not done anything to anybody in Ghana, here in Ghana,” he said.
GH¢20m Support Package
Beyond condemning the attacks, Dr Yamson disclosed that MTN Ghana is preparing a GH¢20 million intervention for Ghanaians returning from South Africa.
He explained that the company initially planned to allocate GH¢10 million as a welcome-back package when the attacks intensified.
However, the board later decided that providing short-term assistance would not sufficiently address the challenges facing returnees, many of whom were reportedly returning with very few possessions.
The company subsequently decided to add another GH¢10 million and establish a fund aimed at helping the returnees rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
Dr Yamson admitted that MTN Ghana should have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at an earlier stage regarding the initiative.
He attributed part of the delay to internal processes but insisted that the company had not abandoned the planned intervention.
“Sometimes when you are big, your internal bureaucracy can also delay a few things. But we have not forgotten. We will do it,” he said.
Dr Yamson said the intervention would be implemented on a scale capable of making a meaningful and lasting difference to the affected Ghanaians.
He also commended organisations that had already provided assistance to the returnees, specifically mentioning Telecel and the Pentecost Church for their interventions.
