Damongo’s MP and rating member of Parliament’s Overseas Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, warned towards inflammatory rhetoric and acts of retaliation towards South Africans residing in Ghana and different African international locations.
He warned that such a response might additional deepen tensions arising from ongoing xenophobic assaults in South Africa.
Appeared in pleasure information In a information file on Saturday, Could 30, Zinapore stated that whereas there’s widespread justified anger and dissatisfaction over the remedy of foreigners in South Africa, African international locations should keep away from responses that might set off a series of retaliation throughout the continent.
His feedback got here as Ghana continues efforts to evacuate its residents affected by the most recent wave of xenophobic tensions in South Africa.
About 300 Ghanaians have been repatriated to this point, and authorities have indicated that extra evacuees are anticipated to reach within the coming days.
Latest developments have reignited considerations concerning the security of African migrants residing in South Africa and raised new questions concerning the nation’s capacity to successfully take care of renewed outbreaks of violence concentrating on foreigners.
Ginapol acknowledged that studies of assaults on African migrants, together with Ghanaians, had stirred robust feelings, however harassed that public commentary and political speech have to be rigorously managed to keep away from upsetting additional hostility.
“We must also watch out in our narratives and discourse to keep away from upsetting a sort of response when, for instance, South Africans are being focused indiscriminately right here in Ghana and different elements of Africa,” he stated.
Damongo stated there was an actual danger that anger over occasions in South Africa might gas emotions of retribution towards harmless South Africans residing or doing enterprise elsewhere on the continent.
He warned that such actions would solely worsen an already tough scenario and undermine efforts to discover a lasting resolution to the disaster.
“It’s going to solely make the scenario worse,” he added.
Whereas advocating restraint, Zinapore unequivocally condemned the assault and known as on South African authorities to take agency motion towards these accountable.
“We’ll proceed to sentence the scenario in South Africa and on the identical time name on the South African authorities to rise to the event and crack down on this deeply regrettable habits by some South Africans,” he stated.
He argued that South African authorities wanted to show larger dedication to defending international nationals and making certain perpetrators of xenophobic violence had been held accountable.
He additional steered that the problem could require intervention on the continental degree and steered that African leaders discover mechanisms by way of the African Union to handle repeated assaults.
“We’ll most likely escalate it to the extent of the African Union by way of imposing sanctions towards South Africa as a rustic and taking steps to handle this example,” he stated.
Mr. Zinapol additionally challenged explanations that merely blamed xenophobic violence on unemployment and financial hardship.
Though financial pressures are sometimes cited as the principle driver of hostility in direction of migrants, he argued that the problem was rooted in broader political and social challenges inside South Africa.
“South African politics itself is at fault and this downside can’t be lowered to unemployment,” he stated.
A rating member of Parliament’s Overseas Affairs Committee additionally steered that considerations about South Africa’s political leaders’ response to xenophobic violence stay legitimate and benefit severe consideration.
“Constructive collusion by the federal government of the day is a crucial and legit concern to boost,” he stated.
Zinapoh’s feedback come towards the backdrop of rising public anger in a number of African international locations after every xenophobic assault in South Africa.
Previous incidents have sometimes sparked requires boycotts of South African firms and retaliatory measures towards South African nationals residing overseas.
In some instances, South African-owned firms working elsewhere on the continent have confronted threats, protests and vandalism.
Rep. Damongo warned that such reactions risked undermining the ideas of African unity and solidarity that underpin regional integration efforts.
