South Africa denies Ramaphosa visit rejection claims, says no state visit request was made to Ghana

The South African government has dismissed reports of a diplomatic rift with Ghana over claims that Accra rejected a proposed visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa, insisting that no request for a state visit was ever submitted.

Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the South African Presidency, said recent communication between Pretoria and Accra was solely focused on arrangements for the upcoming Ghana-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) meeting.

Speaking to the Business and Financial Times, Magwenya explained that the discussions were part of an already agreed diplomatic process and did not involve a separate request for a presidential state visit.

“There was no request for a state visit. The request was to confirm the seating of the BNC, which was to be co-chaired by both Presidents and had already been agreed upon after the last BNC meeting,” he said.

He added that the correspondence was simply a procedural step ahead of the next BNC session, which Ghana is expected to host.

“The latest correspondence was more of a formality than a new request. It was within the context of an already established process between the two countries,” he stated.

The clarification follows reports suggesting that Ghana had declined to host President Ramaphosa amid strained relations linked to recent anti-immigration protests and xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, in South Africa.

The South African Presidency, however, maintained that relations between the two countries remain strong and that both nations continue to cooperate in areas including politics, trade, defence, security and social development.

The diplomatic clarification comes after Ghana expressed concern over attacks on its citizens in South Africa, particularly following the killing of a Ghanaian national during protests on June 30.

Ghana subsequently lodged a formal complaint through its High Commission in Pretoria, appealed to the African Union for attention to the matter, and called for investigations into the incidents.

The Ghanaian government also began a repatriation exercise for citizens seeking to return home and advised those remaining in South Africa to exercise caution.

Despite the recent tensions, Magwenya rejected suggestions that the relationship between the two countries had deteriorated, insisting that there was no basis for hostility between Ghana and South Africa.

He also disputed claims that Ghanaian nationals were specifically targeted during the recent anti-illegal migration protests, saying authorities had not established evidence of a deliberate campaign against Ghanaians.

Yaw Opoku Amoako

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