Some Ghanaians stranded in South Africa have called on the government to extend its voluntary evacuation exercise.

The government ended the evacuation exercise following the arrival of the final batch of 41 Ghanaians in Ghana on September 4. So far, the government evacuated a total of about 1,900 Ghanaians under the voluntary exercise.

However, some desperate Ghanaians living in South Africa are mounting pressure on the government to bring them back home amid ongoing xenophobic attacks. Many of them have lost their jobs, businesses and accommodation as a result of the situation.

So far, Ghana has lost three individuals to xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Recently, a Ghanaian evacuee from South Africa died shortly after arriving at the Accra International Airport on Friday, August 14.

The deceased was among 50 Ghanaians who arrived in the country at 5:50 p.m. aboard an Air Tanzania flight from South Africa as part of the government’s ongoing evacuation exercise following xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, including Ghanaians.

However, he was pronounced dead at the Emergency Medical Reception at the airport after unsuccessful attempts by doctors to save his life.

According to fellow passengers, the deceased’s health condition began to worsen about 30 minutes before arriving at the Kotoka Airport.

A 44-year-old father of three, Bashiru Isaac, was fatally shot in Khayelitsha, while Kojo Antwi was killed in Prieska on July 18.The second victim, Kojo Antwi was killed in Prieska, Northern Cape Province on July 18.Meanwhile, the government spent GHS 49,721,786.00 in the evacuation of Ghanaians who were fleeing the violent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals by some South Africans.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, September 7, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the GHS 49,721,786.00 covered chartered flights, ground transportation, feeding, accommodation, medical care, reintegration support, and the repatriation of the remains of two Ghanaians who died during the crisis.

He explained that the decision to disclose the funds spent on the exercise was part of the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability.

Breakdown of funds

He disclosed that GH¢38.84 million was spent on chartered flights, tickets, ground transportation, feeding, hotel accommodation in South Africa, as well as medical and hospitalisation requirements.

Then GH¢10.8 million was designated for reintegration and transportation allowances for the returning nationals.

According to the Minister, each of the 1,964 evacuees received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration grant and GH¢500 for transportation, bringing the total support per person to GH¢5,500.

The government also spent GH¢84,274 to repatriate the remains of two Ghanaians who lost their lives during the crisis, further adding to the overall cost of the exercise.

Ablakwa said the total amount has been fully settled, with no outstanding liabilities arising from the evacuation.

Of the GH¢49.72 million spent, he said the government financed GH¢33.72 million, while Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, contributed GH¢16 million towards the exercise.

The Minister commended Ibrahim Mahama for what he described as his commitment to the welfare of Ghanaians and his support for the evacuation programme.

Beyond the financial assistance, Ablakwa said returning nationals received additional welfare support to facilitate their reintegration and help them recover from the trauma associated with the attacks.

He said psychologists and trauma counsellors were deployed to provide support to the evacuees upon their arrival, with additional community-based follow-up sessions organised to support their emotional recovery.

Faith-based organisations and civil society groups also provided emotional and spiritual support to the returnees.

The evacuees were also given free medical screening by Port Health and registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

Telecommunication companies further supported the exercise by providing free SIM cards loaded with data and airtime to the returning nationals.

Other assistance included food packages from the National Buffer Stock Company, as well as psychosocial support, logistics, hot meals and water provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Red Cross.

Mr Ablakwa also commended the Church of Pentecost for providing free accommodation to some of the returnees in Pretoria, Kempton Park and Johannesburg.

He said government was now exploring longer-term economic empowerment programmes to help the returning nationals rebuild their livelihoods and successfully reintegrate into their communities.