The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced plans to evacuate the first batch of 300 Ghanaians living in South Africa through a special chartered flight scheduled for May 21.

According to information released by the ministry, the evacuation exercise will be carried out through a special flight departing from South Africa at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday.

This follows a wave of xenophobic attacks against other foreign nationals in South Africa and the desire for Ghanaians to return home for their safety.

The designated departure point for the evacuation is O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

The ministry stated that the evacuation exercise will be fully funded by the Government of Ghana and will come at no cost to citizens being transported back home.

“Note that this is a free service fully paid for by the Government of Ghana."

Ghanaians seeking further details or assistance regarding the evacuation have been advised to contact Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria for more information and coordination arrangements.