By Leo Nelson
The Government of Ghana has condemned the killing of a Ghanaian national during anti immigrant protests in South Africa and called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, said Bashiru Isak, 40, was shot dead at Khayelitsha in Cape Town on June 30, 2026, during demonstrations linked to xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals.
The protests coincided with a deadline set by anti immigrant groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
The campaign, led principally by a movement known as March and March, had in recent months organised demonstrations in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town, demanding the removal of undocumented migrants from the country by June 30.
The ministry described the incident as a senseless act of violence and condemned what it termed xenophobic attacks directed at African nationals, including Ghanaians, residing in South Africa.
It said the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria, acting on instructions from the Government of Ghana, had formally lodged a protest with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation and subsequently filed a complaint with the South African Police Service.
The statement said the High Commission had confirmed the identity of the deceased and informed his family before an autopsy was conducted at the request of the Government of Ghana.
It added that arrangements were underway to repatriate Mr Isak’s remains to Ghana for burial.
The ministry called for a full, transparent and swift investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to justice and appealed to the South African authorities to provide protection for Ghanaians and other foreign nationals living in affected communities.
The statement also noted that Ghana’s petition to the African Union Commission on xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa remains active and expressed the expectation that the matter would be considered at the Commission’s next statutory meeting.
Ghanaians who remain in South Africa and did not participate in the government’s repatriation exercise have been advised to remain vigilant, avoid unsafe areas and contact the Ghana High Commission through its emergency lines whenever necessary.