Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, says no Ghanaian has lost his or her life in the ongoing xenophobic attacks.

His remarks follow speculation that some Ghanaians may have been killed in ongoing attacks in parts of South Africa, after videos showing locals targeting foreigners went viral online around April 22-27.

During an interview with Joy News PM Express Show with Evans Mensah on Wednesday, April 30, Mr Quarshie cited that according to official data presented to his outfit by South African authorities, no Ghanaian has lost their life.

“So the current xenophobic actions that are going on, nobody has lost their lives. The statistics are there; they’ve given it to us,” he stated.

He went on to further address a video which went viral, capturing a Ghanaian man who had been reportedly killed in East London. According to him, investigations conducted by his outfit showed that the man was attacked and fatally stabbed by armed robbers, stressing that his death was unrelated to a xenophobic violent attack.

“In fact, there was a story going round about a Ghanaian who had lost his life in East London… We went there yesterday on the instructions of the Foreign Affairs Minister. We got to find out that the gentleman was stabbed to death by armed robbers, and it happened three weeks ago,” he said.

He disclosed that the case came to the authorities' attention only weeks later.

“They just left his body there, and we only got to know after three weeks that the citizen had been stabbed to death,” he added.

According to him, the Ghanian government has stepped in, calling for a thorough investigation into the fatal attack and halting an attempted mass burial until a full probe is completed.

The envoy said the Ghanaian government has since intervened at the highest level. “The Foreign Affairs Minister has officially asked them to open an investigation. In fact, they wanted to mass-bury the gentleman, but the Minister again gave instructions that the gentleman should not be buried until a full investigation is completed,” he said.

He stressed that authorities are seeking clarity and justice. “Until we know who killed him, why he was killed, and compensation given to his family,” he stated.

Mr Quarshie confirmed that the victim’s family in Ghana has been identified and contacted. “We’ve spoken to them. It has been a difficult one for them, because this is the breadwinner in the family,” he said.

Describing the circumstances of the killing, he added, “When you hear the story as to how they killed him, it’s really, really pathetic.”

Despite the incident, he maintained that it should not be conflated with xenophobic violence.

“But I’m sure that the era of Ghanaians or any other person being killed, and South African authorities just brushing it aside… that era is over,” he said while pledging government’s commitment to Ghana’s diplomatic mission.

“We would ensure there’s accountability. Will account for every single individual, be it Ghanaian, be it any African person, Until justice is done, we will not stop,” he added.

When the attacks started in SA and why ?

News of the xenophobic attacks surfaced after videos of nationals were captured attacking foreign nationals showing harassment and intimidation of foreign nationals, including Ghanaians over economic strain including the over 40% unemployment, housing ptrssures, misinformation including reports of foreign nationals taking over SA markets while groups like Operation Dudula and “Put South Africa First” campaigns openly demand foreigners leave, documented or not.

Is this the first time xenophobic attacks are happening in SA?

The recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners by South AFrican nationas isn't the first. SA has a history of violent xenophobic attacks dating as far back as 1998.

In 1998, three foreign nationals were killed in Johannesburg. Two years later, seven more were killed in Cape Town.

After a long quiet in the attacks, the worst in SA's history happened in 2008 when sixty‑two (62) people lost their lives, 1,700 were injured, and about 100,000 were displaced nationwide cementing xenophobia as a recurring national crisis.

In 2015, violence flared again after inflammatory remarks by the Zulu King. The unrest spread across the country, forcing the government to deploy the military to restore order.

By 2019, riots erupted in Durban and Johannesburg, with Nigerian‑owned businesses being specifically targeted.

More recently, between 2022 and 2025, smaller but persistent flare‑ups were linked to vigilante movements such as Operation Dudula. These included blocking foreigners from accessing health facilities in Gauteng and KwaZulu‑Natal, reflecting how xenophobia had become embedded in everyday life.