Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, says authorities have halted plans to bury a Ghanaian citizen killed in South Africa.
He insists that justice must first be served before any funeral arrangements proceed.
Speaking on JoyNews PM Express on Wednesday, he revealed that Ghana has demanded a full investigation into the killing, which officials say was initially treated as a routine criminal incident.
“So the current xenophobic actions that are going on, nobody has lost their lives. The statistics are there; they’ve given it to us,” he said, addressing broader concerns about the safety of Ghanaians in South Africa.
He, however, confirmed a specific case involving a Ghanaian man found dead in East London.
“In fact, there was a story going round about a Ghanaian who had lost his life in East London… we went there yesterday on the instructions of the Foreign Affairs Minister,” he said.
Mr Quarshie disclosed that initial findings showed the victim was killed in a violent robbery.
“We got to find out that the gentleman was stabbed to death by armed robbers, and it happened three weeks ago,” he said. “They just left his body there, and we only got to know after three weeks.”
He said Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has since demanded action. “The Foreign Affairs Minister has officially asked them to open an investigation,” he noted.
According to him, Ghanaian officials moved quickly to prevent what they described as premature disposal of the body.
“In fact, they wanted to mass-bury the gentleman, but the Minister again gave instructions that the gentleman should not be buried until a full investigation is completed,” he said.
He stressed that Ghana’s position is firm: “until we know who killed him, why he was killed, and compensation given to his family.”
Mr Quarshie added that the deceased’s family has been traced in Ghana.
“The family has been identified in Ghana. We’ve spoken to them,” he said, describing the situation as deeply distressing. “It has been a difficult one for them, because this is a breadwinner in the family.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/oeBxpk-F1ow?si=RL_ypcAr4MyE-FwH
He also highlighted the emotional toll of the killing. “When you hear the story as to how they killed him, it’s really, really pathetic,” he said.
The High Commissioner warned that Ghana will no longer tolerate delays or silence in such cases.
“I’m sure that the era of Ghanaians or any other person being killed, and South African authorities just brushing it aside… I think that era is over,” he said.
He pledged to continue pressuring authorities to ensure accountability.
“We will ensure there’s accountability. Will account for every single individual, be it Ghanaian, be it any African person,” he said. “When we get to know it, until justice is done, we will not stop.”
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