NEIP Boss urges govt not to renew Gold Fields Tarkwa lease amid Xenophobia Concerns
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Eric Adjei, has urged government not to renew Gold Fields’ mining lease for the Tarkwa mine, citing recent xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
In a post shared on X on May 27, 2026, Adjei argued that Ghana should prioritise local companies in the management of the country’s natural resources, especially in light of reports of attacks targeting foreigners in South Africa.
“To Ghanaians coming home because of the xenophobic racism, we love you all. But to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources: please do not renew the mining lease for Gold Fields Tarkwa. We are hearing that it is a South African company. We need local companies to work for us as citizens,” he wrote.
He also tagged the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, in the post.
The comments come amid increasing public discussion over the future of Gold Fields’ Tarkwa mining lease, which is expected to expire in 2027.
Meanwhile, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team, Eric Twum, has called on African countries to suspend economic and commercial relations with South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals.
According to him, the recurring attacks on foreigners living and working in South Africa threaten the broader vision of African unity and regional cooperation.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Twum said the incidents undermine efforts to deepen continental integration, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The South African government is not taking the issue seriously, and I think that for us as a people and the rest of Africa, we need to be very clear in our minds so that this thing does not fester.
“We should stop going there, stop buying their products, stop taking their flights and stop dealing with them so that they can feel the pinch,” he stated.
He argued that such actions would send a strong signal to South African authorities and compel them to take stronger measures against xenophobic violence.
Meanwhile, Ghana has formally petitioned the African Union to place the issue of recurring attacks on African nationals in South Africa on the agenda for discussion at the upcoming Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.
To Ghanaians coming home because of the xenophobic racism, we love you all. But to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources: please do not renew the mining lease for Gold Fields Tarkwa. We are hearing that it is a South African company. We need local companies to work for us…
— Eric Adjei. (@EricAdjei_) May 27, 2026
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