South Africa has confirmed that it dispatched International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola to Ghana as President Cyril Ramaphosa's special envoy, weeks after Accra postponed planned high-level engagements between the two countries over escalating xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.
The diplomatic mission, revealed by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and later confirmed by Lamola himself, marks Pretoria's clearest effort yet to contain a dispute that has strained relations between two of Africa's leading economies.
Speaking after bilateral talks on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit in Accra, Mahama disclosed that he had met with a special envoy sent by Ramaphosa earlier in the week and used the opportunity to restate Ghana's concerns over attacks on foreign nationals and the destruction of African-owned businesses in South Africa.
"In my meeting with a special envoy dispatched by President Cyril Ramaphosa to meet with me in Accra earlier in the week, I made Ghana's position clear to the envoy," Mahama said.
He stressed that Ghana harbours no hostility toward South Africa but remains deeply troubled by recurring attacks on foreign nationals and the significant financial losses suffered by Africans who have invested in the country.
