A fresh diplomatic row has erupted between Ghana and South Africa over the murder of a migrant in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township earlier this week.
The South African government said Thursday the death was not linked to anti-immigrant protests that broke out in the country earlier this week.
The statement came after Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that its citizen Bashiru Isaac, 40, was shot dead during a demonstration.
Ghana said it had formally lodged its protest with Pretoria.
In its statement, Accra also condemned what it called “the rising tide of xenophobia targeting African citizens, including Ghanaians, in South Africa”.
What did South Africa say on Ghana’s accusation?
The South African government rejected Ghana’s claim on the killing as “factually incorrect” and “not based on fact”.
It said “no deaths” were recorded on the day of protests, which saw thousands take to the streets in several parts of the country.
“It is a matter of concern that Ghanaian authorities continue to misrepresent South Africa regarding the phenomenon of irregular migration,” South African Justice Minister Mamamoloko Kubayi was quoted as saying in a statement.
“The spread of misinformation to perpetuate the false narrative that South Africa is xenophobic is unacceptable,” he said.
South African authorities suspect that the murder may be “extortion-related”.
The 35-year-old Ghanaian, whose name is different from that given by the Ghanaian government, was shot at a barber shop on Monday, not Tuesday, as Accra has claimed, police told the French AFP news agency.
However, Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said it stood by its statement.
What were the anti-immigrant protests in South Africa about?
South Africa has seen weeks of unrest over the issue of illegal migration, including attacks on migrant-owned businesses.
Anti-immigrant groups had set June 30 as a deadline for all undocumented immigrants to leave the country.
Marches and demonstrations took place in major cities across the country earlier this week, with the main demonstration taking place in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Although the demonstrations were largely peaceful, there were some incidents of looting and attempted looting.
By 30 June, thousands of African migrants had already left South Africa or been repatriated.
Increasing tension regarding migration
South Africa has one of the largest economies in Africa and is a country of approximately 65.5 million people.
The country has long attracted immigrants looking for work.
The number of foreign-born residents is estimated to be between 2.4 and 3.1 million.
But unemployment in South Africa is the highest in the world, with almost a third of people out of work and deep inequality is fueling people’s anger.
Some activists blame migrants for crime and pressure on public services, although rights groups warn such claims risk escalating tensions.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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