Some Ghanaians who remain stranded in South Africa after losing their jobs, businesses and accommodation amid renewed xenophobic attacks have appealed to the government to reopen its voluntary evacuation programme, saying their circumstances have become increasingly desperate and unsafe.
Their plea comes just days after the government concluded the evacuation exercise with the arrival of the final group of 41 Ghanaians in Accra on September 4, bringing the number of nationals evacuated under the programme to 1,964. The exercise, which commenced in May, was organised to assist Ghanaians affected by deteriorating security conditions and attacks directed at foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.
However, some nationals who remained behind have indicated that the conclusion of the programme has left them in a vulnerable position, particularly those who have lost their sources of livelihood and no longer have stable accommodation.
One of the stranded Ghanaians, Margaret Amenuvegbe, told Eyewitness News on Monday, September 7, that she and several others had initially registered for evacuation but did not proceed with the subsequent screening after hearing reports about difficult conditions at some evacuation centres.
She explained that concerns about overcrowding and inadequate accommodation discouraged some prospective returnees from completing the process, even though their personal circumstances later deteriorated to the point where returning to Ghana became their preferred option.
Amenuvegbe said she and other Ghanaians had allegedly been forced out of their workplaces and places of residence, leaving them without reliable income or shelter. She disclosed that four adults and four children within her immediate group were now seeking assistance to return home, while several other nationals were experiencing similar difficulties.
According to her, the situation has been particularly challenging for Ghanaians whose immigration documentation does not permit them to work legally. Having lived in South Africa for 14 years and worked as a hairdresser, she said difficulties surrounding work permits had eventually prevented her from maintaining her livelihood.
Amenuvegbe further disclosed that she and others were currently receiving shelter from a church and, in some instances, sleeping on the floor while waiting for assistance. She therefore appealed directly to the government to reconsider the decision to end the evacuation exercise, insisting that those still stranded were prepared to leave at very short notice.
Her appeal comes as the government has begun accounting for the financial implications of the evacuation programme. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed on September 7 that the state spent GH¢49,721,786 on the evacuation of the 1,964 Ghanaians.
Of that amount, GH¢38,835,512 was used for chartered flights, air tickets, ground transportation, feeding, hotel accommodation, medical treatment and hospitalisation, while another GH¢10,802,000 was allocated for reintegration and transportation support. An additional GH¢84,274 was spent on repatriating the remains of two Ghanaians who died during the crisis.
The Minister explained that each returnee received GH¢5,000 as a reintegration grant and GH¢500 as transportation assistance. He also said the government financed GH¢33,721,786 of the overall expenditure, while Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, contributed GH¢16 million towards the operation.
While acknowledging the necessity of protecting Ghanaians whose lives and livelihoods were threatened, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has called for a detailed account of how the money was spent.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, Mr Jinapor said the protection of Ghanaian lives should not be reduced to financial calculations, but maintained that public expenditure must nevertheless be subjected to transparency, accountability and value for money considerations.
He observed that the figures released by the government translated into an average expenditure of roughly GH¢25,000 for each evacuee and argued that the calculation was intended to highlight the need for greater disclosure rather than place a monetary value on the lives of citizens rescued from danger.
Mr Jinapor consequently urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to publish comprehensive details of the expenditure, saying such disclosure would strengthen public confidence and demonstrate adherence to the principles of responsible financial administration.
The government, meanwhile, maintains that the evacuation was an emergency intervention that had not been anticipated or provided for in the original budget. Mr Ablakwa said the deteriorating security situation compelled the state to act swiftly to protect vulnerable Ghanaian nationals, while the Ministry has assured those already evacuated that reintegration assistance will continue.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has also indicated that returnees have received medical care, psychosocial assistance, health insurance registration and other forms of reintegration support, while longer term measures are being considered to help them rebuild their livelihoods in Ghana.
The latest developments therefore leave the government facing two parallel demands, namely the need to account fully for the GH¢49.7 million spent on the evacuation and the growing appeal from Ghanaians who say they were unable to return during the exercise and now require another opportunity to come home.
For Amenuvegbe and others in similar circumstances, the issue is no longer simply about the conclusion of an evacuation programme. It is about whether those who remain vulnerable in South Africa will receive another opportunity to return to Ghana before their already difficult circumstances become even more severe.
