.Rebuts SA Home Affairs Officer False Claim
Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa (SA), Benjamin Anani Quashie has vehemently debunked claims that only 10 out of 300 evacuees possessed documents to stay in the country.
According to him, the number is far higher than what is being bundled around by the Home Affairs officer, saying what the authorities are engaged in is propaganda to justify their xenophobic atrocities.
Providing details of what is on record, Quashie said as much as 80 percent of the 300 had proper documentations while 20 percent did not.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, May 27, the High Commissioner noted that he has challenged the figure and expects the Home Affairs officer to provide evidence of his claim.
“I can say for a fact that 80 percent of the repatriated Ghanaians from South Africa were documented. Only 20 percent were undocumented. I have challenged the Home Affairs officer who alleged that only 10 out of the 300 evacuees were documented to come out with his facts.
In the days to come, we will put out facts for everyone to judge. I am surprised these figures are coming from him and I’m sure he will retract his statement in the days to come”, he said on Ghana Tonight on TV3.
Quashie touching on the credibility of the South African authorities cited the case of Emmanuel Asamoah, who was the first Ghanaian caught in a video being harassed the SA youth. He said when he was escorting the victim to be repatriated, the authorities claimed he had no papers contrary to what existed.
“Emmanuel Asamoah, the gentleman that I came to Ghana with, the first gentleman who was accosted by this group and then they humiliated him and then they said his documents were fake and all of that. When we told them that the documents were not fake, it was the same immigration department officials who said no, his documents were fake. We knew it was not fake because we knew very well that they were spinning the whole story.
What did we do? I traveled with Emmanuel Asamoah to Accra, Ghana. We went through all immigration posts. We went through immigration and modalities”, he said.
He divulged further information saying while leaving the shores of South Africa, Asamoah went through checks and nowhere were they informed that his documents were invalid.
“We went through to the counter where border management authority is and nobody said he was illegal. He was very legal in the country. Reaffirming our stance that this whole idea of calling people undocumented and they not being able to identify what being an undocumented immigrant in South Africa is, that is where we are getting to”, he added.
The High Commissioner criticized the behavior of the South African authorities who he observed are reneging their responsibilities and have joined in the spreading of falsehood. He observed that the fight against xenophobia will become very difficult if officialdom opts to lie their way.
“I have challenged the immigration official who put out that figure. Let’s all put our books out and let’s ensure that everybody sees what it is that we saw during the process of us all coming together, working for these Ghanaians to leave South Africa and go to Ghana.
You see, when state institutions who are supposed to take accountability for certain things that they do that are not right, decides to also join the propaganda of individuals in the country, that is where you find no seeming solution to this whole xenophobic attack and how it’s unfolding.
Because at the end of the day, be clear with the people. Explain to them what we mean by documented and undocumented immigrants in your country. I’m sure that we’ve challenged them”.
He expressed surprise at the sudden behavior of the Home Affairs officer because all along he had cooperated with them and joined them at the embassy to smoothing the process, so he does not understand why he put out that false figure.
“I’m sure that in the days to come we’ll put our facts out there for everybody to see and for everybody to judge. I’m not here to say that he’s doing that for a purpose or whatever. He worked very nicely with us.
He was at the Ghana High Commission, sat in our offices, worked with us very well. So I’m surprised that these figures are coming from him. But I’m sure that in the days to come you’ll hear him retracting those stories and then we move on from there”
By Gifty Boateng