South Africa and Ghana clash over migrant death claim
Ghana’s foreign ministry says a 40‑year‑old migrant, Bashiru Isak, was shot dead during anti‑immigrant protests in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township. Kyiv officials sent a formal protest note to South Africa and filed a complaint with local police.
South African justice officials denied the claim, stating the police have no record of the alleged killing. Instead, they said they are investigating a separate death of a 35‑year‑old Ghanaian in Nyanga, also linked to alleged extortion crimes, and have called for cooperation on the matter.
The row reflects a broader surge in anti‑immigrant sentiment in South Africa, highlighted by a recent deadline for all undocumented foreigners to leave the country. Thousands of migrants from Ghana, Malawi, and Nigeria have begun to depart amid fears of violence and intimidation.
Both sides underscore a need for transparent investigations and swift justice. The situation underscores the fragile state of migrant‑rights conversations in the region and the importance of diplomatic dialogue when lives are at stake.
