'I'm sick and tired of this country' - Ghanaians in South Africa pour out frustrations at meeting with Foreign Affairs minister
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana's Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, met with distressed Ghanaian nationals at the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria. One man told the minister, "I'm sick and tired of this country." He also said, "I have been working as a teacher in this country. Not that Ghanaians are illegal - but the Home Affairs [department] forces most of them to be illegal." A woman raised concerns for Ghanaians living outside Pretoria who are too scared to travel to register for the repatriation programme.
The meeting revealed that some Ghanaians have had permanent residency permits revoked and business permits declared fraudulent. A business owner warned that the anti-immigrant sentiment is not a passing storm and that he is exploring a takeover plan of Ghanaian businesses by South African counterparts. The article states that there is an estimated 20,000-strong Ghanaian community in South Africa.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a support package for evacuees, including a "Welcome Home Financial Package," transport assistance, a reintegration allowance, and free psychosocial support services. By May 21, over 800 Ghanaians had registered at the High Commission in Pretoria for evacuation, with the first batch of returnees expected to depart once a verification and screening exercise is completed.
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Ghanaians in South Africa met with Ghana's Foreign Affairs minister to discuss their experiences- a meeting filled with emotion. The community is fractured, and the future uncertain- but what does this mean for those wanting to return home?
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