Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers, a Legal expert and policy analyst, has urged the John Mahama-led government to demand compensation from South Africa over xenophobic attacks.
The lawyer argued that the government should formally demand compensation from South Africa for Ghanaian businesses and properties that were destroyed during xenophobic attacks.
He disclosed that several Ghanaian-owned businesses have been looted, burned, vandalised, or abandoned during the violent attacks against foreign nationals.
Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers argued that Ghana must move beyond diplomatic protests and push for compensation for affected Ghanaians.
According to him, demand for compensation is rooted in established principles of international law.
Speaking on TV3’s Big Issues on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Brako-Powers argued that Ghana must move beyond diplomatic protests and push for a structured compensation process for affected citizens.
Brako-Powers stated, “Ghana should formally demand, as a condition of its bilateral diplomatic engagement with South Africa, a structured process for the assessment and compensation of Ghanaian nationals whose businesses and property were destroyed during these attacks”.
“The Ghanaian government is not being hard and tough enough,” he said.
In related news, Benjamin Quarshie, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, has announced that the first batch of Ghanaians being evacuated from South Africa will arrive in Accra on Wednesday, May 27.
Benjamin Quashie, disclosed that Ghanaian authorities, in collaboration with South African officials, are carrying out screening and verification exercises to finalise the list.
He detailed that the evacuation process will not end with the first flight, as arrangements have already been made for additional flights.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa further disclosed that the first aircraft has the capacity to carry about 300 passengers.
Meanwhile, the March and March Movement, a South African group leading the campaign for the removal of foreign nationals from the country, has expressed dissatisfaction with the government of Ghana.
According to the March and March Movement leader Jancita Ngobese-Zuma, the Ghanaian government is engaging in PR to make South Africa look bad.
She stressed that the Ghanaian government is overreacting to the issue and attempting to portray South Africa as xenophobic.
In a press conference, the group disclosed that they have great respect for Ghana as a country, but believe it is dishonest for the government to claim that Ghanaian citizens were assaulted when, in their view, they were only engaging with an individual who had allegedly breached the immigration laws of the country.
The March and March Movement labelled the Ghanaian government as disappointing and largely dishonest.
Speaking in a viral video shared on X, the March and March Movement stated, “The Ghanaian government really overreacted; it is disappointing. We have a lot of respect for Ghana as a country, and the people of Ghana, we still do. But for them to react in the way that they did is largely dishonest. Because for them to claim their people were beaten up when they know they were not beaten up, even the Minister of Police echoed that it is absolutely ridiculous.
What we saw in that video is Victoria Africa. talking to someone who has broken the laws of the country, and coming legally and staying illegally. Instead of addressing that in a correct manner, they decided to do a whole PR exercise to paint South Africa as xenophobic”.
Tomorrow 7PM 🔥 The Bhim Nation President Stonebwoy takes over the stage in Dormaa! Get ready for an electrifying performance#GHNow pic.twitter.com/y7kIulsnqg
— GHnow (@ghnow_) May 26, 2026
