Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, has rejected widespread claims that Ghanaians have been killed in recent xenophobic attacks, stating that no such fatalities have been officially recorded.
Speaking on PM Express with Evans Mensah, Mr Quarshie emphasized that available data does not support the circulating reports. “So the current xenophobic actions that are going on, nobody has lost their lives,” he said.
His remarks follow heightened tensions and viral social media reports alleging that foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, have been targeted and killed in parts of South Africa. According to the High Commissioner, official statistics provided to the Ghanaian mission contradict those assertions.
He addressed a widely shared case involving a Ghanaian man reportedly killed in East London, explaining that the circumstances had been misrepresented. Acting on instructions from Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, officials visited the location to investigate.
Findings revealed that the individual was not a victim of xenophobic violence but had been killed in a robbery incident. “We got to find out that the gentleman was stabbed to death by armed robbers, and it happened three weeks ago,” Mr Quarshie stated, noting that authorities only became aware of the case weeks after the incident.
He further disclosed that the victim’s body had remained unattended until it was discovered, prompting intervention by Ghanaian authorities. The Foreign Affairs Minister has since requested a formal investigation into the killing.
Mr Quarshie also revealed that plans to bury the deceased in a mass burial were halted following instructions from the Minister, pending the outcome of investigations. Authorities are seeking to establish the identity of the perpetrators, the motive behind the killing, and appropriate compensation for the victim’s family.
He confirmed that the deceased’s family in Ghana has been identified and contacted, describing the situation as particularly distressing given that the victim was the family’s primary provider.
While acknowledging the gravity of the incident, Mr Quarshie stressed that it should not be conflated with xenophobic violence. He also indicated a firmer stance by Ghana’s diplomatic mission in addressing such cases.
“We would ensure there’s accountability. We will account for every single individual, be it Ghanaian or any other African person,” he stated, adding that efforts would continue until justice is served.
