Ghana has postponed a planned visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following a wave of anti-foreigner protests in South Africa that has prompted the repatriation of hundreds of Ghanaian nationals and heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Ramaphosa had been scheduled to visit Ghana during the first week of August in what was expected to be a high-level engagement aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and easing growing tensions.
However, Ghanaian authorities announced that the visit would be deferred amid concerns that the president's presence could trigger large-scale demonstrations.
"We sent them a communication indicating that it would be best to defer the visit in view of the present climate around xenophobia," Ghanaian government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu told the BBC.
South Africa sought to downplay the postponement, with presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya reaffirming Pretoria's commitment to maintaining close relations with Ghana.
He told the BBC that South Africa remained committed to "deepening cooperation" between the "two sister nations" and advancing the African agenda, adding that both governments would continue diplomatic consultations to agree on a new date for the meeting.
Magwenya also noted that the planned trip was not a formal state visit but part of an ongoing series of bilateral meetings between the two countries.
Viral video fuels diplomatic dispute
Relations between Accra and Pretoria deteriorated after a video widely shared on social media showed a young Ghanaian, Emmanuel Asamoah, being confronted in South Africa and told to "go fix his country."
The footage intensified public anger in Ghana, where authorities have already repatriated more than 900 of their citizens from South Africa. A further group of more than 900 Ghanaians is expected to return in the coming weeks.
Other African countries, including Nigeria, Malawi and Kenya, have also evacuated nationals amid continuing anti-immigrant demonstrations.
Some activist groups had issued undocumented migrants with a June 30 deadline to leave South Africa, with approximately 25,000 people reportedly repatriated so far.
Ramaphosa has defended the right to peaceful protest while pledging stronger measures to address irregular migration.
Dispute over alleged killing
The diplomatic row escalated further after Ghana condemned the reported killing of Bahiru Isak, a 40-year-old Ghanaian living in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township, alleging he died during anti-immigration protests on June 30.
South African authorities have rejected that account, insisting no such incident occurred. Officials say the only Ghanaian national who died was 35-year-old Kwabena Boagen and maintain that his death was unrelated to the protests.
South Africa's justice minister subsequently accused Ghana of spreading "false information" about developments linked to irregular migration.
Residency claims remain contested
Another point of contention concerns the legal status of Ghanaian nationals living in South Africa.
Accra maintains that most of its citizens residing in South Africa possess valid residency documents, while Pretoria disputes that claim. Neither government has publicly presented evidence to support its position.
In May, Ghana formally petitioned the African Union over recurring xenophobic violence in South Africa, calling for a fact-finding mission and action to address attacks on foreign nationals, which it argues undermine the principles of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Political analysts warn that South Africa risks growing diplomatic isolation across the continent if it fails to contain anti-immigrant unrest and repair relations with affected African countries.
Xenophobic violence has periodically erupted in South Africa over the past two decades, with migrants frequently blamed by some groups for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
Many Africans across the continent, however, continue to argue that South Africa should remember the solidarity and support it received from fellow African nations during the struggle against apartheid and the country's transition to democracy.
