Fresh concerns over xenophobia have emerged in South Africa following the circulation of viral videos showing hostility towards African migrants in different parts of the country.
In one widely shared clip, a group of locals confronted a Ghanaian national, questioning his presence and accusing migrants of abandoning their home countries instead of improving them.
“This thing of you guys moving from one country to the other, its no longer working,” a woman said on behalf of the group.
“We don’t want these African people anymore. We’re tired of seeing African migrants moving all over the world, refusing to fix your own countries. Now we’re making it very clear to you guys: we don’t want you here, we want you to fix your countries.
“Now you came here with a travelling document, you came with a passport. You know that you’re a visitor, now you’ve decided to integrate into our communities. You know very well what you’re doing is wrong. We can’t come to Ghana and do what you’re doing.”
In the same footage, a man was seen aggressively interrogating the Ghanaian over his travel documents, alleging fraud and compelling him to warn others from Ghana to leave South Africa to avoid similar encounters.
Another video showed a man believed to be Ghanaian being physically assaulted, further heightening fears of targeted violence. In a separate clip, a South African man criticised foreigners for what he described as enjoying comfort while locals struggle.
“They can’t come here and take our sleep away from us,” he said, insisting that “they must go back to their countries”.
The videos began trending online on Tuesday, sparking widespread reactions.
Tensions are expected to escalate as residents of Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape province, plan protests over what they describe as the growing presence of foreign nationals and limited job opportunities for locals.
Ghana reacts, seeks probe
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Ablakwa, condemned the incidents, describing the videos as “extremely disturbing”.
He disclosed that he had spoken with his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, who assured him that investigations would be launched.
“The South African Foreign Minister has expressed his empathy with the victims and promised full scale investigations into the depressing incidents,” Ablakwa said.
He added that Ghana’s High Commission in South Africa had identified the victim seen in one of the videos and is providing consular support.
“He is doing very well. No Ghanaian life has been lost. We urge calm and confidence in our collective capacity to protect Ghanaians,” he said.
“We are determined to guarantee the protection of all citizens. May these regrettable incidents never quench our Pan-African love and solidarity for each other. The overwhelming majority of Africans are united and share an unbreakable bond — we shall not be divided by the hatred of a few fringe elements.”
Community leaders urge caution
Amid rising tension, Yirenyi Darko, chairman of the Ghanaian community in Mthatha, expressed concern over the safety of other African nationals, particularly Nigerians and Zimbabweans.
“We are only trusting God for protection. For now, in the Eastern Cape, it is not as extreme as in other provinces, and there has not been recent harassment in Mthatha. But generally, the situation remains worrying,” he said.
He also advised Ghanaians in the area to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions as uncertainty persists.
