Ghanaian dies in xenophobic attack in South Africa
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Hanna Tetteh, has confirmed the killing of a Ghanaian, Emmanuel Quarcoo, in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
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According to her, the deceased was found by the roadside in Umlazi on the Simlane Drive, east of Johannesburg, with head injuries.
Ms Tetteh, who posted the information on her handle on microblogging site, Twitter, said the matter was being investigated by the South African police and the Ghana High Commission was following it up.
African Ambassadors
Ms Tetteh also disclosed that African Ambassadors in South Africa were currently holding discussions on the incident to chart a way forward.
"Our embassy will advise the government on the need for evacuation when it becomes necessary", Ms Tetteh wrote.
Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, in a Facebook message, said officials were holding discussions with the South African government and would make information available after the meeting.
Attacks
Foreign-owned shops in South Africa were last Wednesday attacked and looted in East Johannesburg in the latest in a string of xenophobic attacks.
The violence continued last Thursday in spite of its condemnation by South African President, Jacob Zuma, and according to reports, about 200 foreigners sought refuge at a local police station after a crowd began looting foreign-owned shops in east Johannesburg in the night.
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At least five people have been confirmed dead in the xenophobic attacks in recent weeks.
South Africa is home to migrants, especially those from other African states and Asia and many South Africans have accused the migrants of taking over jobs in that country, thereby denying the nationals of jobs.
Reports say police were forced to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the looters and arrested 12 people.
ECOWAS
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) has condemned "the barbaric, criminal and xenophobic murder" of some African immigrants in South Africa.
The sub-regional grouping, in a statement signed by the Chair of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, President John Dramani Mahama, urged the South African government to act quickly to stop the increasing wave of attacks across the country.
The statement also condemned the South Africans involved in the act.
Ingratitude
Describing the unprovoked attacks as "a pity", ECOWAS said the fact that the very people, whose nations sacrificed to help South Africans fight to defeat apartheid, would today be considered aliens and hacked to death in such a barbaric manner, left much to be desired.
“We welcome the statement of our brother, President Jacob Zuma, and his assurances of a peaceful resolution, but we request for an urgent national action plan, backed by a behavioural change campaign against xenophobia in South Africa,” the statement added.
High Commissioner
In a related development, the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms Lulama Xingwana, has also condemned the attacks, describing it as a criminal offence which would not be tolerated.
“South Africa is a multicultural society that welcomes and promotes interaction among people of different backgrounds. The recent attacks on foreign nationals have been fuelled by negative perceptions that foreign nationals are using resources meant for South Africans, which are invalid,” her statement indicated.
According to the statement, the suggestion that foreigners alone were responsible for the high crime levels was totally misplaced and deviated from the fact that criminal activities could be undertaken by many in society.
Background
Since the beginning of the year, attacks against foreign nationals have been reported in Soweto, Benoni, Attridgeville, Khayelitsha, Inanda and KwaDukuza.
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The situation has worsened recently, following the death of three foreign nationals on April 9, 2015 in Chatsworth and Umlazi in Durban. These attacks have resulted in foreign nationals being displaced and a public outcry that foreign-run businesses are not being operated in certain areas.