South African opposition politician Julius Malema has criticised the Ghanaian government’s decision to evacuate its citizens from South Africa following recent xenophobic tensions and attacks targeting some foreign nationals.
According to Malema, the evacuation exercise was unnecessary and risked creating the impression that all South Africans support xenophobic violence against foreigners.
Speaking on the matter, the politician argued that the incidents involved only a small group of individuals and should not be used to generalise the attitudes of the broader South African population.
He stated that concerns over foreigners allegedly taking local jobs had fueled the unrest in some communities, but insisted that the situation could have been managed internally without international evacuation efforts.
Malema’s comments come after the Ghanaian government initiated a voluntary repatriation exercise for nationals living in South Africa amid growing safety concerns.
The evacuation programme, coordinated through Ghana’s diplomatic mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has already seen the first batch of returnees arrive in Accra.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa previously explained that the government’s priority was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Ghanaian citizens following reports of rising tensions and threats in some parts of South Africa.
The issue has reignited conversations across Africa about xenophobia, migration, employment pressures, and the protection of foreign nationals living within the continent.
