The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has criticised government over the postponement of plans to evacuate Ghanaians from South Africa, describing the decision as troubling and a sign of poor crisis management.
In a statement issued Friday, Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, expressed concern over what he described as government’s failure to adequately prepare before publicly announcing the evacuation exercise.
The criticism follows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ decision to suspend the planned evacuation of Ghanaians living in South Africa, citing legal and logistical challenges.
According to the Minority, recent reports of renewed xenophobic attacks and intimidation targeting foreign nationals in South Africa have created fear among many Ghanaians residing there, prompting several to register with Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria for possible evacuation and assistance.
The caucus stated that it had consistently called for swift and coordinated action from government since reports of the unrest first emerged, stressing that the protection of Ghanaian citizens abroad remains a fundamental responsibility of the state.
“It is disappointing that after the announcements, assurances and public statements, we are now being told that the exercise has been postponed due to legal and logistical requirements,” the statement said.
The Minority argued that such operational and legal concerns should have been resolved before government publicly committed to the evacuation process.
The caucus further warned that the latest development raises broader concerns about the Ministry’s handling of foreign affairs matters and the protection of citizens abroad.
“Behind every statistic is a Ghanaian citizen, a family living in fear, and people looking to their country for protection and reassurance,” the statement added.
The Minority is now urging government to act with urgency, provide regular updates to affected citizens, and ensure all necessary measures are taken to safeguard the welfare and safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa.
