"It is a shameful dent" - Zanetor condemns South African xenophobia at AU Day parade

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings condemned ongoing xenophobic hostilities in South Africa at the State House in Accra on Monday, 25 May 2026, describing the systematic targeting of fellow Africans as "a shameful stain on the collective conscience of the continent." The lawmaker warned that the recurring anti-immigrant violence severely undermines the global credibility of African leadership. Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings emphasized that the distressing images of violence emanating from South Africa have cast a huge dent on the image of the continent.

The African Union Day, celebrated annually on May 25, marks the historic founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, which later transitioned into the African Union in 2002. Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings stated that the xenophobic attacks on the very individuals who are supposed to be brothers and sisters heavily question the core ideology of African unity. She urged continental bodies to move beyond diplomatic platitudes and aggressively enforce peace and human rights protections.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, noted that the foundational principles of Pan-Africanism remain heavily relevant to the continent's modern journey for socioeconomic progress and industrial development. Mr. Gyakye Quayson stated that the AU must actively promote concrete human dignity, tangible economic development, and unwavering unity across the sub-regions.