Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Kofi Quashie, has reassured that diplomatic efforts are actively underway to resolve the difficulties many Ghanaians face in South Africa.

In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the High Commissioner stressed that many are not undocumented migrants but hardworking people caught in frustrating bureaucratic delays in acquiring documents.

“Most of them have papers, but the issue is that when their permits or asylum documents expire, they go to the department responsible for renewals but face delays,” he said.

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According to him, some Ghanaians have waited for years, sometimes three, four, or even five years, without any response from the authorities.

This has left them wrongly labelled as illegal immigrants, even though they followed the rules and submitted their documents on time.

“Some have submitted their documents for three years with no response, and others for four to five years. Because of this delay, they are being categorised as illegal immigrants, which is not the case,” he stated.

Quashie emphasised that these administrative bottlenecks are creating unnecessary tension and hardship for families who simply want to live and work legally in South Africa.

The Ghana Mission has directly raised these concerns with South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.

“We told the Department of Home Affairs that these are the real problems. You cannot blame Ghanaian citizens for administrative delays which is beyond their control,” he explained.

He, however, assured that discussions are progressing toward a possible special visa arrangement that could resolve this problem.

“They said they are considering a special visa permit regime. Our visa-free arrangement is for 90 days, but that is not enough. We are pushing for longer permits so Ghanaians can live and work legally,” he said.

The High Commissioner also pointed out that frequent changes in South Africa’s Home Affairs leadership have made the situation even more challenging, with new ministers often bringing new rules that disrupt those already in the system.

“Over the years, they have changed ministers several times, and each comes with new regulations. People applying under old systems sometimes suffer the consequences. They say they are trying to rectify it, so we are waiting,” he added.

Quashie reminded everyone that protecting both citizens and foreigners is a shared responsibility.

“Every country has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of both its citizens and immigrants,” he said.

“They have apologised to us and are trying to stop some of the demonstrations. We can confidently say there is a shift in approach,” he stated.

On the critical issue of safety, the mission has urged Ghanaians to promptly report any problems to the local police and the embassy.

Quashie also confirmed that, according to official records, no Ghanaian has lost their life in the recent incidents.

NA/VPO