International Relations expert Dr Ishmael Hlovor says Ghana’s decision to reject a GH¢20 million donation from MTN for victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa should be understood as part of a broader diplomatic strategy.

According to him, the government appears to view the donation as an attempt by South African interests to repair the country’s international image rather than directly addressing the underlying concerns over recurring xenophobic attacks.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, August 26, Dr Hlovor described the gesture as a form of “back-channel diplomacy” designed to soften the diplomatic pressure being brought to bear on South Africa.

“I think Ghana is perceiving this as part of South African back-channel diplomacy to try and clean its international image,” he said.

He explained that although accepting the money could provide immediate economic support to victims, Ghana’s decision to reject it could be aimed at keeping attention focused on the need for South Africa to take concrete steps to prevent future attacks.

Dr Hlovor said Ghana wants the South African government to engage openly and provide sustainable solutions to the recurring violence against foreigners.

“That is ensuring that you bring much more diplomatic pressure [on] the South African government and let South Africa engage openly to provide sustainable solutions to the issue of xenophobic attacks,” he stated.

He argued that the diplomatic considerations surrounding the donation are particularly important because Ghana and other African countries have already invested significant resources in responding to the attacks, including repatriating affected citizens.

“The same South African government is calling on other African nations to pay for repatriation of their citizens, and then you have the South African entities who are now trying to donate to countries that have suffered from the xenophobic attack and who have put a lot of resources into repatriating their citizens,” he said.

Dr Hlovor acknowledged that from a purely economic standpoint, accepting the GH¢20 million could be beneficial.

However, he said the government must also consider the wider diplomatic implications and ensure that the donation does not allow South Africa to avoid responsibility for addressing xenophobia.

“If you look at it economically, it makes sense for you to accept, but then if you look at the broader international relations and the diplomatic scene, then you have to reject this in order to continue to put that posturing and pressure on the South Africans to recognise that you are taking this matter as serious as you can and that there should be some sustainable solution,” he explained.

He also criticised South African businesses for failing to publicly condemn xenophobic attacks strongly enough when they occurred.

“At the heart of the xenophobic attack, they were quiet. So you can't be quiet throughout that period and then turn around and believe that you can donate to support the victims of what you refused to openly condemn,” he said.

He nevertheless acknowledged that South African companies have a legitimate interest in preventing xenophobic violence, since such incidents can damage their operations and reputation across the continent.

He urged them to be more vocal in condemning xenophobia in the future, rather than relying on humanitarian gestures after attacks have occurred.

“For the South African business entities operating across Africa, yes, we understand that for business people, they will not want such occurrences, but then they must be more open in condemning such occurrences in future, so that when it comes to issues like this, then we know where they stand,” he said.

Dr Hlovor’s comments follow Ghana’s decision to decline the reported GH¢20 million donation from MTN intended to support victims affected by xenophobic attacks.

He said the decision should not be interpreted solely as a rejection of assistance to affected persons, but as part of Ghana’s broader effort to compel South Africa to confront the issue and pursue lasting solutions.