By Philip Antoh
The latest wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa has taken a distinctly lethal turn, leaving Ghanaian residents in Johannesburg gripped by terror. Unlike previous flare-ups of anti-immigrant sentiment that were contained by police presence, the recent unrest has devolved into what community leaders describe as a violent, unchecked manhunt.
The grim reality of the situation was laid bare this week with the brutal assault on Bernice Diana Akuffo, a 42-year-old hairdresser and two-decade resident of Johannesburg.
Ms. Akuffo was reportedly ambushed by a group of armed hoodlums who demanded she leave the country immediately. When she refused to comply, they attacked her with sharp weapons, leaving her with severe facial injuries. The attack highlights a chilling shift from property destruction and intimidation to indiscriminate physical violence.
The Ghanaian High Commission in Pretoria only located Ms. Akuffo after her family filed a frantic distress petition. Her son has since formally requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure her safety and facilitate an immediate medical evacuation to Ghana.
For the Ghanaian community across South Africa, the incident underscores the complete failure of local law enforcement to protect African migrants. The attacks come as South Africa grapples with its own political and economic instability, with foreign nationals routinely scapegoated for high unemployment and failing infrastructure.
Responding to the crisis, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, issued assurances of protection and a commitment to ongoing evacuation efforts. However, for Ms. Akuffo, who now fights for her life over a decade of work in a foreign land, those assurances are arriving far too late.