Story perspectives

Ghana Brings Home 300 South Africans Amid Xenophobia Deadline

5/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Ghana chartered a flight from Johannesburg and on Wednesday nearly 300 citizens landed at Kotoka International Airport.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and officials greeted the returnees while about 800 Ghanaians have signed up for the repatriation program with a reintegration plan to resume their businesses.
The March and March movement, which organized protests, set a June 30 deadline for immigrants to leave South Africa due to fears of xenophobic violence.

History

Historical Context

On 12 May 2008 xenophobic riots broke out in Alexandra, Gauteng, spread nationwide, and led President Thabo Mbeki to deploy armed forces on 21 May, the first troop deployment since apartheid. The unrest forced thousands to flee; Mozambique later registered 3,275 South Africans for repatriation. Today Ghana’s foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa greeted about 300 returnees, underscoring regional attempts to address the 2008 crisis’s legacy.

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Story summary

Ghana chartered a flight from Johannesburg and on Wednesday nearly 300 citizens landed at Kotoka International Airport.
Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and officials greeted the returnees while about 800 Ghanaians have signed up for the repatriation program with a reintegration plan to resume their businesses.
The March and March movement, which organized protests, set a June 30 deadline for immigrants to leave South Africa due to fears of xenophobic violence.

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