Fresh diplomatic tensions have emerged between Ghana and South Africa after the Ghanaian government declined to host South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for a planned state visit, citing concerns over the reported killing of a Ghanaian citizen and alleged xenophobic attacks against its nationals. 

The decision follows the death of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak, whom Ghana says was killed during demonstrations associated with renewed attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa on June 30, 2026.

Officials in Accra said the postponement of the visit reflects Ghana’s growing concern over the security of its citizens residing in South Africa.

They maintained that ensuring the safety of Ghanaians abroad must take precedence over high-level diplomatic engagements.

President Ramaphosa had been expected in Ghana during the first week of August for a state visit aimed at reinforcing the longstanding relationship between both countries.

The visit was also expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on bilateral cooperation and concerns surrounding attacks on foreign nationals.

However, Ghanaian authorities indicated that the prevailing situation made it difficult to proceed with the visit until issues surrounding the reported killing and the welfare of Ghanaian citizens were adequately addressed.

As part of its response, the Ghanaian government has formally protested to South African authorities over Isak’s death and expressed broader concerns about the safety of Ghanaians living in the country.

According to Ghanaian officials, Isak was shot dead during what they described as “anti-immigrant demonstrations linked to ongoing xenophobic attacks” in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township.

South Africa has rejected that account, insisting that Ghana’s claims are inaccurate.

Authorities in Pretoria said no fatalities were recorded during the June 30 demonstrations, which attracted thousands of protesters in different parts of the country.

South Africa’s Justice Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, accused Ghanaian authorities of circulating incorrect information capable of damaging South Africa’s reputation.

“It is concerning that Ghanaian authorities continue to communicate false information about South Africa regarding developments on irregular migration,” she said in a statement.

“The spread of false information to perpetuate the false narrative that South Africa is xenophobic is unacceptable,” she added.

The disagreement has placed renewed attention on the safety of African migrants in South Africa, where previous incidents of violence against foreign nationals have repeatedly drawn concern from governments across the continent.

Although the latest dispute has strained relations, Ghana and South Africa remain two of Africa’s closest diplomatic and economic partners, with cooperation spanning trade, investment, regional integration and continental affairs. Officials from both countries are expected to continue diplomatic engagements as efforts are made to resolve the disagreement and preserve their longstanding bilateral ties.

The Ghanaian government had earlier petitioned the African Union (AU) over the killing of one of its citizens, a 40-year-old fashion designer, Mr. Bashiru Isak, who was allegedly shot dead during anti-immigrant violence in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa.

The Ghanaian government described the incident as a senseless act of xenophobic brutality.

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The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has disowned the claim that the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) opened an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

While responding to claims made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-acclaimed Director-General of the PFIPC, the Presidency had said

“The Police found that Adeyemi, using the fake documents he created, fraudulently opened a CBN account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. According to the police, no government money has been transferred into the account,” Bayo Onanuga, Presidential spokesman, had said in a statement, which exonerated Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, of any wrongdoing in the saga.

But giving its own side of the issue, the OAGF said the council never completed the process required to operate a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.

He said that made it impossible for any government allocation to be paid into its coffers.

Director of Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said an application to open the account was initiated after the council’s convener, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, presented “an appointment letter“ linked to an existing government agency.

He, however, said the process stalled because the names of authorised signatories were never submitted, preventing the account from becoming operational.

“The account has not seen the light of day. It has not received one kobo because it was never fully activated.

“The Accountant-General has not released any money because there is no operational account for such payment,” Mokwa said.

He added that while the council has a budgetary allocation, the existence of a provision in the Appropriation Act does not automatically translate into the release of funds.

The OAGF also dismissed claims that salaries had been paid to staff of the council.

Mokwa explained that federal agencies cannot recruit personnel or process salary payments without obtaining approvals from the Federal Character Commission, the Budget Office and the Federal Civil Service Commission before workers are enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

“If an agency is granted a waiver to recruit, it must still obtain approvals from the relevant agencies before presenting staff details to the Accountant-General. Without those approvals, not even one employee can be captured on the payroll,” he said.

According to him, none of the statutory conditions has been fulfilled by the PFIPC.

He insisted that the council has neither an operational CBN account nor an approved payroll through which government funds or salaries could have been disbursed.

The controversy surrounding PFIPC first came to public attention after the Presidency disowned the body, insisting that no such agency exists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

It warned Nigerians against dealing with individuals claiming to represent it.

The Presidency subsequently said Adeyemi, who had presented himself as Director-General of the council, was standing trial on charges bordering on alleged forgery, impersonation and related offences.

According to the Presidency, the matter was uncovered in October 2025 after the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) raised concerns that the purported council was carrying out functions similar to those of the commission.

The Office of the Chief of Staff to the President thereafter petitioned security agencies, alleging that appointment letters, official documents and other materials purportedly issued in the name of the Presidency had been forged.

Investigators were said to have recovered documents during searches conducted after Adeyemi’s arrest, while the government maintained that the PFIPC was never legally created.

The issue, however, took a fresh twist after the 2026 Appropriation Act listed the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council under the Presidency with a budgetary allocation of about N1.3 billion for personnel, overhead and capital expenditure.

The inclusion triggered widespread questions from opposition figures, legal experts and civil society groups, who argued that the budgetary provision appeared inconsistent with the Presidency’s insistence that the council was fictitious.

The development has since shifted public attention beyond the criminal allegations against Adeyemi to broader concerns over Nigeria’s budgeting and administrative processes.

Critics have questioned how a body the Presidency describes as non-existent could appear in the federal budget, while also demanding explanations over reports that the council operated from the Federal Secretariat and interacted with several government institutions before it was disowned.

Calls for an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the controversy have continued to mount.