In brief
A diplomatic row has broken out after Ghana’s foreign ministry lodged a formal protest concerning the alleged death of Ghanaian migrant Bashiru Isak in Cape Town’s anti‑immigration protests. The South African justice minister has denied any inaccurate reporting, asserting that the police have no record of the incident and are investigating a related killing in a different township. Ghana demands a clear and swift inquiry, while South Africa stresses the need for transparency in handling the case. The dispute underscores a broader surge of anti‑migrant sentiment during a national deadline for undocumented foreigners to exit the country.
A bitter dispute has erupted between Pretoria and Accra following rumours that Ghanaian migrant Bashiru Isak was shot dead in Cape Town during a wave of anti‑immigration protests.
Provincial police have said they have no record of such an incident, but they have confirmed an investigation into the earlier killing of Ghanaian national Kwabena Boagen in the Nyanga township.
Ghana’s foreign ministry called the reports unacceptable and demanded a swift and transparent inquiry from South African authorities, urging the country to uphold the safety and rights of foreign residents.
South Africa’s justice minister responded by warning that it had received false information about the incident and that the police continue to investigate a corruption‑linked crime in the area.
The anti‑migrant protests, set to coincide with a historic deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, have seen thousands march across Cape Town’s main avenues, with 900 arrests on Tuesday largely for immigration offences and looting.
The crisis reflects rising anti‑migration sentiment in a nation whose unemployment rate tops 30 percent, turning it into a magnet for low‑pay jobs that attract many from poorer African countries.
