South Africa Says Ghana, Nigeria Cannot Isolate It Over Migration Dispute
By TIMOTHY HAGGERTY-NWOKOLO
SOUTH Africa has dismissed suggestions that efforts by Ghana and Nigeria to rally diplomatic pressure against Pretoria over migration-related concerns would succeed, while expressing support for a broader African Union (AU) discussion on migration across the continent.
The South African Presidency said it welcomed the proposal by Ghana and Nigeria for the AU to deliberate on migration issues, describing the continental body as the appropriate platform for constructive engagement on challenges affecting member states.
The renewed diplomatic exchanges follow calls by Ghana and Nigeria for the African Union to address what they described as “Afrophobia” in South Africa, citing recent protests and public demonstrations directed at undocumented foreign nationals living in the country.
Responding to the development, Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa was not opposed to the proposed debate but believed discussions should extend beyond the immediate concerns surrounding undocumented migration.
According to him, the African Union should also examine the underlying drivers of migration across the continent, including economic disparities, unemployment and governance challenges that compel many Africans to seek opportunities outside their home countries.
Magwenya argued that African governments share a collective responsibility to create conditions that enable their citizens to thrive at home, thereby reducing migration pressures on individual countries.
He maintained that migration should be treated as a shared continental challenge requiring coordinated solutions, rather than placing a disproportionate burden on any single nation.
