Samuel Jinapor Backs Firm Ghana Response To South Africa Migrant Attacks

Ghana's diplomatic response to reported anti-migrant violence in South Africa has drawn firm backing from the Minority in Parliament, with Samuel Abdulai Jinapor insisting that the country's foreign policy must be judged by one standard: whether it protects Ghanaians and advances the national interest.

The Damongo Member of Parliament, who serves as Ranking Member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, made the point on Tuesday, July 7, as Ghana's relations with South Africa came under renewed public attention. The government has postponed bilateral meetings with South Africa that had been expected next month, citing a surge in anti-migrant violence in that country.

Jinapor said the matter should not be reduced to partisan exchanges. In his view, the safety of Ghanaian citizens abroad sits above party politics and must guide the posture of the state whenever such concerns arise.

"All foreign relations pursuant to Article 73 of our national Constitution must be in accord or must promote Ghana's national interest," he said.

Minority backs government action

Jinapor said the Minority supports legitimate measures being taken by the government to protect Ghanaians living in South Africa. He stressed that Ghana's leadership, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the President have a responsibility to act when the welfare of citizens outside the country is threatened.

According to him, this is one area where the national position must be clear and forceful. He said he has consistently supported efforts by the state to take up matters involving Ghanaian citizens abroad, particularly in South Africa, where concerns over xenophobic and anti-migrant attacks have returned to the centre of diplomatic discussion.

He described the protection of Ghanaians overseas as a national duty that should command cross-party support. That support, he said, extends to any reasonable diplomatic action meant to secure the lives, dignity and safety of Ghanaian nationals.

"All the measures, or whatever measures our government is taking... to protect Ghanaians in South Africa are those that we, in the Minority, fully support," Jinapor stated.

The comments come after government spokespersons confirmed that Ghana had postponed planned bilateral engagements with South Africa. The decision was presented as a response to developments affecting migrants in South Africa and concerns that Ghanaian citizens could be exposed to danger.

AU sanctions call gets support

Jinapor also endorsed the government's decision to take the matter beyond bilateral channels and raise it at the African Union level. He said the call for the continental body to consider sanctions against South Africa is a position the Minority supports, provided it is aimed at addressing violence and protecting affected citizens.

He further backed Ghana's demand that South African authorities show stronger oversight and take responsibility for dealing with attacks linked to xenophobia. In his assessment, the South African government has a duty to confront the problem directly and ensure that people living within its borders, including Ghanaian migrants, are protected.

The Damongo MP said Ghana must be ready to speak plainly when its citizens face threats abroad. He argued that bilateral friendship does not remove the duty to demand accountability from a partner country when Ghanaian lives and livelihoods are at stake.

• Ghana has postponed planned bilateral meetings with South Africa.
• The decision follows concerns over anti-migrant violence in South Africa.
• Jinapor says the Minority supports measures to protect Ghanaians there.
• He also backs Ghana's move to raise the issue at the African Union.

For Jinapor, the constitutional basis is important. Article 73, he said, requires the conduct of foreign affairs to be anchored in Ghana's national interest. That means foreign policy must not be shaped by convenience, political advantage or public emotion alone, but by the concrete interests of the state and its citizens.

Credibility must guide Ghana's stance

While supporting the government's current posture, Jinapor added a caution. He said Ghana's foreign policy must remain credible, especially when the country makes strong claims or calls for action at a continental level.

He said every diplomatic position taken by Ghana must be supported by "unimpeachable facts on the ground." That credibility, in his view, is what gives weight to Ghana's voice and protects the country from weakening its own case in international engagements.

"Whatever stance we take, whatever measures we take are those that are supported by unimpeachable facts on the ground," he said.

The warning does not soften his support for action. Rather, it places a condition on how Ghana should proceed: firm on the protection of citizens, but careful to ground every demand in verified facts. That balance, he suggested, is what separates serious diplomacy from political theatre.

Jinapor's intervention also reflects the wider sensitivity around Ghana's ties with South Africa. Both countries maintain important political and economic relations, but anti-migrant violence in South Africa has repeatedly tested regional solidarity and raised difficult questions about the treatment of African nationals within African states.

His position is that Ghana can preserve diplomatic credibility while still defending its people without hesitation. The country, he argued, must not appear passive when citizens abroad are at risk. At the same time, it must ensure that its actions, statements and demands are built on reliable evidence.

The Minority's support gives the government's response a rare bipartisan tone on a foreign affairs issue. It also sends a message that, at least on the protection of Ghanaians in South Africa, Parliament's opposition is not challenging the need for action. The debate now turns on how Ghana sustains pressure, verifies the facts and secures meaningful protection for its citizens.