Ghana is preparing to seek compensation for citizens who lost businesses, homes and other property during South Africa’s recent wave of xenophobic violence, as the number of nationals evacuated from the country edges closer to 2,000.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the government is compiling a formal register of losses to support legal and diplomatic efforts to secure compensation for affected Ghanaians. Speaking at a media briefing on the government’s response, he said officials are documenting destroyed businesses, investments and other assets.
“Since a number of the returning nationals were also deprived of their assets and property, the Government is establishing a register of claims that would enable the Ministry to pursue legal and diplomatic processes for compensation on behalf of affected Ghanaians who lost businesses, investments and other property during the xenophobic attacks,” he said.
The compensation initiative follows weeks of increasingly firm statements from Accra. Ablakwa has said Ghana will not consider the matter closed once the evacuation exercise ends. He has indicated that the government is exploring legal action through international courts and insists there must be accountability for the attacks.
Officials have also confirmed at least 15 serious injury cases linked to the violence. One Ghanaian woman remains in South Africa after doctors advised she was not fit to travel because of the severity of her injuries.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s evacuation programme has become one of the country’s largest repatriation operations in recent years. During the first phase, three chartered flights brought 926 Ghanaians home from Johannesburg. A second phase began on 26 July, targeting about 1,000 more nationals.
Ablakwa said 132 people had returned under the second phase by late July. Additional chartered flights have since brought home more evacuees, including one carrying about 150 people, with further flights still planned.
The government has also introduced a support package to help returnees rebuild their lives. Each person receives a GH¢5,000 grant and a GH¢500 transport allowance. They are also enrolled on the National Health Insurance Scheme, provided with relief items by the National Disaster Management Organisation and offered six months of psychosocial support through a dedicated helpline.
Private individuals and companies have also joined the relief effort, including businessman Ibrahim Mahama. At the same time, a multi-agency task force is assessing the skills and employment needs of returnees. Around 200 job placements have already been secured through partnerships with private-sector employers.
The violence followed months of anti-foreigner campaigns in parts of South Africa, particularly Durban, where groups including March and March and Operation Dudula have been accused of targeting African migrants over their nationality and immigration status while attacking foreign-owned businesses.
At least two Ghanaians have been killed in the unrest. Nigeria has also reported casualties and property losses among its citizens.
Ghana is pressing South African authorities to carry out transparent investigations and prosecute those responsible. It is also taking the issue to the continental stage.
Accra has formally petitioned the African Union to place recurring xenophobic attacks on its agenda, arguing that the violence threatens African unity and undermines the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The move has already won the backing of ECOWAS.
The petition is expected to be discussed at the African Union’s mid-year coordination meeting in Egypt in October, where Ghana hopes to build wider support for stronger action against xenophobic violence and push for accountability over the losses suffered by its citizens.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah