Catholic Bishops Call for Calm Amid Ghana–South Africa Tensions
Bishop Gyamfi says misunderstandings should not define relations
- Calls for calm amid South Africa tensions
- Warns against retaliation and escalation
- Urges unity and peaceful African coexistence
The President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has appealed to Ghanaians to remain calm amid growing xenophobic tensions in South Africa and increasing calls to boycott or shut down South African businesses in Ghana.
According to him, retaliatory actions could worsen tensions across the continent and threaten the spirit of African unity and peaceful coexistence.
Speaking in an interview Thursday, May 28, Most Rev. Gyamfi urged Ghanaians and Africans at large not to respond emotionally by targeting South Africans or their businesses.
He explained that the recent incidents should be viewed as the actions of a few individuals rather than a reflection of the entire South African population.
“I believe that Ghanaians who have been repatriated, and indeed all Africans, should see this as a misunderstanding by some people in South Africa and should not react by repatriating South Africans back,” he stated.
He cautioned that any retaliatory move could spark similar reactions across Africa.
“Once you begin that, it will have a snowball effect all over Africa. We just want everybody to keep calm. Initially, people may want to act emotionally to settle scores, but that is not the proper way to handle these issues,” he added.
The Catholic Bishop further stressed the importance of unity among African nations, noting that citizens from different countries continue to live and invest across the continent.
“Ghanaians will continue to live in South Africa and South Africans will also continue to live in Ghana. Ghanaians have businesses there and South Africans also have businesses here. Let us live in unity and love,” he appealed.
Most Rev. Gyamfi acknowledged that misunderstandings and isolated incidents are inevitable but warned against allowing them to shape relationships between African countries.
“There will always be some aberrations. You should not build on the deviations,” he noted.
He also lamented the persistent divisions among Africans along colonial lines, describing it as unfortunate that the continent continues to emphasise boundaries and differences created by Europeans instead of strengthening African solidarity.
