South African President Spokesperson has disclosed that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s planned visit to Ghana has not been rejected but only postponed.
The South African Presidency refuted reports suggesting that Ghana declined the engagement.
Spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, clarified that media reports claiming that Ghana had rejected the South African leader’s visit are not accurate.
Vincent Magwenya expressed displeasure over the manner in which the issue had been reported.
According to the Spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, the planned engagement between the two countries remains on course despite the postponement.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Tuesday, July 7, he stated, “We are disappointed with the manner in which this matter has been handled and reported because it does not reflect the true nature of the development”.
“The date had long been agreed that Ghana will host the South Africa-Ghana Binational Commission. This is a regular meeting of the structure that manages the cooperation between the two countries.
“The last meeting was held in 2024, and that meeting was hosted by South Africa. It follows that Ghana was to host the next iteration of the BNC.”
His comment follows news that the government of Ghana’s rejection of a planned state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The information gathered from reports detailed that the South African President’s visit was declined due to the killing of a Ghanaian national and reported xenophobic attacks targeting Ghanaians in South Africa.
According to sources within the corridors of power, the decision was taken amid growing concerns over the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa.
Reports revealed President Ramaphosa was expected to visit Ghana in the first week of August, providing an opportunity for both countries to strengthen bilateral relations.
Nonetheless, the Ghanaian government indicated that the current situation requires serious attention before such high-level diplomatic engagements could proceed.
Meanwhile, South African authorities have contested Ghana’s account of the incident, labelling the claims surrounding the killing as “factually incorrect” and “not based on fact.”
According to the South African government, no deaths were recorded during the June 30 demonstrations, which attracted thousands of protesters in parts of the country.
Mmamoloko Kubayi, South Africa’s Justice Minister, stressed that Ghana’s characterisation of the incident was misleading and risked creating a negative picture of South Africa.
“It is concerning that Ghanaian authorities continue to communicate false information about South Africa regarding developments on irregular migration,” she was quoted as saying in a statement.
“The spread of false information to perpetuate the false narrative that South Africa is xenophobic is unacceptable,” she added.
However, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister for Government Communications, has disclosed that Ghana’s relationship with South Africa remains cordial despite concerns surrounding recent xenophobic attacks.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana have not done anything to muddy the relationship with South Africa, adding that the government is only taking steps to protect Ghanaians from attacks.
Speaking on the Midday News on Joy FM on Tuesday, July 7, Kwakye Ofosu stated, “Our relations remain cordial, as you have seen. We in Ghana have not done anything to muddy the relationship; we only had to take a step to protect our citizens from the attacks, and so we know that we have made an arrangement to bring a number of them back home, and arrangements are ongoing to bring more back home. Beyond that, we don’t think that our relations have been damaged”.
“Of course, we have indicated our displeasure about what is happening in South Africa; we hold the view that the South African government could have done more to guarantee the safety and security of Ghanaians in particular and other foreigners in South Africa in general. But we continue to hold the South African government and its people in high esteem. And we are willing and able to maintain a healthy relationship that will result in mutual benefits for both countries”, he added.
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