The Minority in Parliament is urging the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to tone down on what it describes as the public relations exercise on the evacuation of some Ghanaians from South Africa.
The caucus says instead of extreme publicity on the Government’s response to the xenophobic attacks against some Ghanaians in South Africa, it should rather focus on bringing the affected persons home safely.
According to the Minority, the evacuation of citizens from a chaos-ridden country is not novel, as successive governments have done same over the years.
Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, speaking to journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, stressed that the primary focus should be on ensuring the well-being of those impacted by the violence rather than highlighting ceremonial aspects of the evacuation exercise.
He urged the Government to intensify efforts aimed at providing relief, support and protection for affected Ghanaians.
“The Minister for Foreign Affairs should focus on delivering, he should focus on the substantive work and pay less attention on public relations. Public relations is all well and good. PR is all well and good.
“Branding is all well and good. Communication and social media and all the razmatazz of welcoming people and singing and all of those are all well and good.
“But at the end of the day, what people are looking out for here in Ghana and those in South Africa is that we get the job done. And as I have said repeatedly, this is not the first time Ghana has delivered on this.
“Ghana is reputed to be capable as a country of reaching out to its compatriots outside when they have difficulties.”
So far, almost 300 nationals have been evacuated from South Africa following the country’s barbaric and inhumane treatment targeting Ghanaians and other African nationals in parts of the country.
It is expected that a second batch of evacuees arrive in Ghana by June 7, with about 1,500 people currently registered with the High Commission in South Africa to return home.
South African companies operating in Ghana must bear part of the cost of evacuating Ghanaians
