Ghanaian legislators condemn xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Ghana's legislators on Friday condemned the recent xenophobic attacks in some parts of South Africa.

The Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, called on the rest of Africa to reject South African products to send a strong signal about their displeasure with the attacks on their nationals.

"I think the time has come for African people to unite around this and at least not to also violently attack their properties in our country and not to violently attack their citizens in our country but to boycott their products," he said, in a statement on the floor of parliament.

Speaking on local radio, another Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, called on the African Union to intervene in the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, saying the attacks posed a great challenge to the security and economic advancement of the continent.

But Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on Friday told the country's Parliament that her outfit had put in place measures to ensure the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks in some parts of that country.

She said no Ghanaian or their businesses had yet been affected in the ongoing attacks, adding that Ghana's embassy in Pretoria and the foreign ministry would continue to monitor the situation and update the country appropriately.

According to her, the mission has visited many shops owned by Ghanaians in the sunny suburb of Pretoria informing them of the development and the need to activate all early warning signals, using social media groups to provide information in case of any attacks.

Over the weekend, 30 shops belonging to foreigners were looted and burnt down in a Pretoria township.

"The mission has also written a 'note verbale' to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation requesting their continued protection of Ghanaian nationals and all non-South African nationals as well as their businesses," she told the legislators. Endit