Reports emerged yesterday that Ghana has rejected a proposed state visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to the reports, this was in connection with the xenophobic attacks on immigrants in South Africa, including Ghanaians, many of whom have been evacuated over the last few months.

However, clarifying the narrative, the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, stated that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s planned state visit to Ghana was arranged long before the recent outbreak of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

He explained that the decision to postpone the visit was intended to prevent ongoing tensions arising from the xenophobic attacks from overshadowing critical issues of mutual interest that both countries needed to discuss.

He added that the visit, initially scheduled for early August 2026, had been in the pipeline before the latest attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.

“Let me indicate that this is a visit that had been planned well in advance of the outbreak of the recent xenophobic attacks. Indeed, it was slated to take place in early August 2026, but given the outbreak of these attacks and all the issues that have arisen therefrom, we sent a diplomatic communication to the South African government that we believe it is best to defer the visit until such a time when these matters have been resolved and there is relative calm,” he said while speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, July 8.

His comments follow reports that Ghana had declined President Ramaphosa’s proposed visit amid concerns over renewed xenophobic violence and its implications for the safety of Ghanaian nationals living in South Africa.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that Ghana attaches great importance to its longstanding relationship with South Africa, adding that both countries share strong historical, political, economic and social ties.

“Because we value the relationship we have with South Africa, a relationship that stems from shared values and cuts across several sectors, from economic and political relations to social cooperation, any such visit should focus on these important matters that have direct benefits for the people of both countries,” he stated.

He explained that allowing the visit to proceed under the current circumstances could shift attention away from key bilateral discussions and place greater focus on the recent attacks.

“Given the nature of the recent attacks, there is a likelihood that they will overshadow the very important issues that would have to be discussed during such a visit. So we believe that when matters settle and the issue of xenophobic attacks no longer hangs over such discussions, it will then be appropriate to have the visit,” he added.

The proposed state visit was expected to strengthen cooperation between Ghana and South Africa, with discussions focusing on deepening bilateral relations and exploring opportunities in areas of mutual interest.

Meanwhile, a Ghanaian national in South Africa was confirmed dead following the massive xenophobic protest exercise embarked upon by thousands of South Africans on June 30.

Confirming the death of the Ghanaian national, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape, in a statement issued via its official Facebook platform on Thursday, July 2, denied that the death of the deceased was linked to xenophobic attacks.

According to the police, “… SAPS in the Western Cape confirms the murder of a Ghanaian national in Nyanga on Monday, 29 June 2026, in circumstances believed to be linked to the crime of extortion”.

The deceased, identified as 35-year-old Mr Kwabena Boagen, was reported by SAPS as follows: “Official crime scene reports indicate that the deceased male, later identified as 35-year-old Mr Kwabena Boagen, was shot at the Nyanga Terminus in front of the NTG Hair Salon and Shoe Repairs at approximately 15:45 on Monday, in circumstances that point to extortion-related crime perpetrated by yet-to-be-arrested gunmen.

He was declared dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services personnel.”