Dr Oduro-Antwi slams attacks on Ghanaians in South Africa
Fresh footage circulating on social media showing violence against Ghanaians in South Africa has drawn sharp condemnation from the President of the Global Africa Trade Advisory Chamber, Dr. Dominic Oduro, who called the incidents “unacceptable, unpardonable and shameful.”
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed it raised the matter with South African authorities following the spread of the videos online, a diplomatic signal that Accra is watching the situation closely.
For Dr. Oduro, the images are not just disturbing on a human level, they represent a direct contradiction of everything African nations claim to be building together. “How can this happen after all the noise about the African Continental Free Trade, the African Union, etc. This is not the Africa we want to see or build,” he said.
His frustration carries an economic dimension too. With the African Continental Free Trade Area still in its fragile, formative stages, Dr. Oduro warned that scenes of Africans attacking fellow Africans send exactly the wrong message to a continent trying to sell itself on the idea of integration and free movement. “This will certainly have some impact or consequences on trade between South Africa and other African countries,” he noted.
South Africa’s relationship with migrant communities from across the continent has long been volatile. Xenophobic violence, often tied to economic anxiety, unemployment, and competition for informal livelihoods, has flared repeatedly over the years, drawing condemnation each time and yet continuing to resurface.
Dr. Oduro is calling on the African Union, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and South African authorities to move beyond condemnation and pursue accountability. “We therefore call on the government, AU and AfCFTA to investigate the issue and prosecute those who are responsible,” he said.
His closing message was directed at the continent as a whole. “We will continue to encourage our brothers and sisters to live in peace and harmony. We have only one voice for Africa. We are just one people living in one continent with diverse opinions. Africa, this is not the time for xenophobia. We must grow up and be vigilant,” he said.
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