Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has assured that no Ghanaian in South Africa who wishes to return home will be excluded from the planned evacuation exercise, following clarification over reports of a supposed chartered flight.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, May 22, the Foreign Affairs Minister commended Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie, for locating Sylvester Boakye, a Ghanaian who reportedly missed an updated evacuation notice and was the only individual to report to O.R. Tambo International Airport on Wednesday, May 21.

Mr Ablakwa assured that Mr Boakye would still be included in the broader evacuation arrangement expected to cover about 800 Ghanaians, stressing that “no Ghanaian desirous of returning home would be left behind.”

The Minister also dismissed reports suggesting that Mr Boakye had already been flown back to Ghana, describing the claims as false.

He clarified that the Government of Ghana had not dispatched any chartered flight for the exercise, explaining that the evacuation had been temporarily deferred following an agreement with South African authorities to resolve legal, technical and logistical issues surrounding the process.

Mr Ablakwa further maintained that efforts were ongoing to ensure a smooth and coordinated evacuation exercise, adding, “Truth stands; and truth always wins.”