President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently dispatched a delegation to Ghana to discuss the recurring xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, describing the engagement as an opportunity to openly address an issue that continues to concern many African countries.

The President made the disclosure when he received the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssou, at the Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday, July 22.

President Mahama said he used the meeting with the South African delegation to explain Ghana's position on the matter, stressing that confronting the issue openly was essential to finding a lasting solution.

“On, July 21, President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a delegation to me, and I explained the reason why we need to discuss it. Sometimes these things happen, and we want to sweep them under the carpet, but when we do that, we do not cure what the problem is,” he said.

The President emphasised that Ghana's concerns should not be interpreted as hostility towards South Africa but rather as a constructive effort to encourage greater transparency and demonstrate the measures being taken to address the attacks.

“I told them that Ghana does not harbour any malice against South Africa, but we are raising it so it gives them the platform to explain what they are doing to the world.”

President Mahama further appealed to the African Union to play a more active role in tackling the recurring incidents, warning that xenophobic violence undermines the continent's aspirations for unity, free movement and regional integration.

He noted that Ghana had incurred considerable costs in evacuating some of its citizens from South Africa following previous attacks, underscoring the broader human and financial consequences of the violence.

The President's remarks come amid renewed calls for coordinated continental efforts to address xenophobia and strengthen the protection of African citizens living and working across the continent.