Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, has issued a firm warning to South Africans over verbal attacks targeting Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama and Foreign Affairs Minister, urging restraint and respect for Ghana’s leadership.
Speaking in an interview with DW Africa as Ghana continues to repatriate nationals affected by the recent wave of xenophobic violence, Quarshie described the conduct of some South Africans as “deeply troubling,” especially coming from individuals “who should know better.”
“Don’t Bring Our President Into This”
The High Commissioner said he had listened with concern to public comments in South Africa where Ghanaian leaders were being insulted with language he described as unprintable.
“You hear people in South Africa, people that should know better, using very unprintable words on our President in Ghana and the foreign affairs minister,” Quarshie said. “Let me sound a word of caution — it is not that we are timid, not that we cannot have the same things that they are saying.”
While acknowledging that South Africans have the right to free expression within their own country, he drew a clear line at extending those attacks to Ghana’s head of state and senior officials.
“You can do whatever you want to do in South Africa, but we beg them — don’t bring our President into this,” he warned.
Quarshie cautioned that continued provocation could erode Ghana’s current diplomatic restraint. He noted that Accra had deliberately chosen dialogue and quiet diplomacy over public retaliation, but said that patience had limits.
“It will get to a point that when the Ghanaian wants to use the same words, we will not be able to stop them,” he said.
Ghana Prioritizing Diplomatic Resolution
The High Commissioner referenced similar insults that have been directed at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in recent weeks, but stressed that Ghana’s leaders should remain off-limits.
“I heard people calling him names, unprintable names, but don’t bring it on any Ghanaian leader,” he stated.
Quarshie attributed Ghana’s measured response to its civic culture and long-standing commitment to resolving disputes through diplomatic channels rather than public confrontation.
“We are taught civically to respect authority and that is exactly why we have kept quiet — and that’s exactly why we want to solve this thing diplomatically,” he added.
He said Ghana remained focused on protecting its citizens in South Africa and ensuring their safe return home, while keeping communication lines open with Pretoria.
Context of the Remarks
Quarshie’s comments come as Ghana accelerates the repatriation of nationals caught up in xenophobic attacks that have flared in parts of South Africa in recent weeks. The violence has displaced and unsettled many African migrants, prompting several governments to arrange evacuation exercises.
Ghana initially postponed its evacuation due to technical challenges around screening processes and aircraft landing permits, a delay that heightened anxiety among Ghanaians seeking to return home. Officials say efforts are now underway to ensure the exercise proceeds this week.
The High Commissioner’s warning signals Accra’s growing frustration with the tone of public discourse in South Africa around the attacks, even as it seeks to avoid escalating diplomatic tensions.
Ghana and South Africa share long-standing bilateral ties, and officials on both sides have previously emphasized the importance of preserving those relations while addressing the underlying issues behind xenophobic violence.
For now, Quarshie said, Ghana’s priority is the safety of its citizens and a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
