The Ghanaian authorities have decided to postpone the state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, which had been scheduled for early August, due to anti-immigrant protests in South Africa. This was stated by Minister of State in charge of Government Communications and Spokesperson for the President Felix Kwakye Ofosu in an interview with Joy FM.
The politician emphasised that the visit had been arranged before the outbreak of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
“Indeed, [the visit] was due to take place in early August 2026, but given the outbreak of these attacks and all the issues that have arisen therefrom, we sent a diplomatic communication to the South African government that we believe it is best to defer the visit until such a time when these matters have been resolved,” he said.
The minister’s comments follow reports that Ghana had allegedly declined a proposal for Ramaphosa’s visit amid concerns over safety of Ghanaian nationals living in South Africa.
«As we value the relationship we have with South Africa, a relationship that stems from shared values and cuts across several sectors — from economic and political relations to social co-operation — any such visit should focus on these important matters that have direct benefits for the people of both countries,” the minister stated.
He added that, under the current circumstances, public attention would inevitably be focused on the recent attacks rather than on the key issues on the bilateral agenda.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s state visit was expected to help strengthen co-operation between Ghana and South Africa. During the talks, the parties planned to discuss the further development of bilateral relations and new opportunities for co-operation in areas of mutual interest.
Earlier in July, the South African authorities rejected Ghana’s claims that a Ghanaian citizen, Bashiru Isak, had been killed during anti-immigrant protests on 30 June. According to Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, the Ghanaian man had been shot before the demonstrations began.
