The Government of Ghana has brought home the body of Bashiru Isak, the Ghanaian national who lost his life during the recent xenophobic violence in South Africa, while intensifying efforts to secure accountability and ordering a fresh post-mortem examination.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 16, authorities confirmed that Mr Isak was the Ghanaian who died after being shot several times in Khayelitsha, a township in Cape Town.
The Ministry rejected earlier assertions by some South African officials, describing those accounts as inaccurate.
Officials described the deceased as a peaceful citizen and devoted father of three, insisting there is clear evidence establishing his identity despite previous conflicting claims.
According to the Ministry, Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria, working with the approval of the bereaved family, coordinated the return of Mr Isak’s remains.
The body arrived in Accra on Tuesday evening and was received by officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry together with members of the family before being conveyed to the 37 Military Hospital.
Government representatives explained that an independent forensic examination would be conducted because neither the family nor Ghana’s diplomatic mission in South Africa had been provided with the official post-mortem findings by the South African authorities.
Accra has renewed its demand for a thorough investigation into the killing, urging South African authorities to move swiftly to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible.
The Government stressed that the circumstances surrounding the death must be fully investigated without delay or attempts to conceal any evidence.
Following completion of the independent autopsy, Mr Isak will be laid to rest in accordance with Islamic burial traditions.
The Ministry further indicated that Ghana would continue to pursue every available diplomatic and legal process to ensure justice is served.
It also expressed sympathy to Mr Isak’s parents, widow, children and the entire bereaved family, assuring them of the Government’s continued support during this difficult period.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong