South Africa has revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s planned visit to Ghana was postponed, not rejected, pushing back against reports suggesting Accra had turned down the engagement.
Spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya, said the reports circulating did not accurately reflect what actually happened between the two governments.
He told Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Tuesday that he was disappointed with how the matter had been reported, insisting the planned engagement between Ghana and South Africa remains on course despite the delay.
According to Magwenya, the visit was tied to the Ghana-South Africa Binational Commission, the regular framework the two countries use to coordinate cooperation, rather than a standalone state visit.
He explained that Ghana was due to host the next session after South Africa hosted the previous one in 2024, and that the correspondence between the two governments was simply meant to confirm arrangements already agreed on, not a fresh request Ghana could have rejected.
“We are disappointed with the manner in which this matter has been handled and reported because it does not reflect the true nature of the development,” Magwenya said, adding that the date for Ghana to host the commission had long been settled and that the back-and-forth was purely procedural.
The clarification follows reports that Ghana had rejected Ramaphosa’s visit amid tensions over the death of a Ghanaian national and renewed xenophobic violence targeting foreigners in South Africa.
Ghanaian authorities have raised concerns over the killing of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak, reportedly killed during demonstrations linked to attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa on June 30, 2026, and the government has since lodged a formal protest with South African authorities over the incident and the broader safety of Ghanaians living there.
Ramaphosa had been expected in Ghana in the first week of August for the Binational Commission meeting and related engagements aimed at deepening bilateral ties.
Following talks between the two governments, that visit has now been postponed, with both sides expected to agree on a new date.
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