Ghana’s Minority Leader and Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has delivered a forceful appeal for justice and accountability over rising xenophobic violence in South Africa, urging authorities to move beyond condemnation and ensure perpetrators face the full rigours of the law.
Speaking on Monday, May 4, 2026, during the First Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, the Effutu MP invoked Rule 71 of the House to deliver a personal statement on what he described as urgent matters of public interest affecting African lives across the continent.
“ I rose to speak for those who no longer can,” Afenyo-Markin told the chamber, as he recounted recent attacks on African nationals both within and beyond the West African sub-region.
He drew particular attention to the plight of Ghanaian traders and other African migrants in South Africa, where fresh waves of xenophobic violence in recent weeks have led to assaults, looting of foreign-owned shops, forced evictions, and, in some cases, deaths.
Communities in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have reportedly witnessed renewed tensions, with migrants—especially from other African countries—targeted by vigilante groups accusing them of taking jobs and engaging in illicit activities.
While acknowledging recent remarks by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemning the attacks during Freedom Day commemorations, Hon Afenyo-Markin stressed that rhetoric alone was insufficient.
“Words from a ceremonial platform do not arrest a single perpetrator,” he said. “South Africa must move from speeches to action—arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, without impunity and without selectivity.”
He further warned that the persistence of such violence undermines the very ideals of African unity and integration, especially at a time when the continent is pushing for deeper economic cooperation through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat headquartered in Accra.
According to him, the contradiction between promoting free trade and failing to guarantee the safety and free movement of African citizens cannot be ignored.
“We cannot, in good conscience, continue to host the AfCFTA Secretariat while remaining among the majority of African Union member states that have not ratified protocols guaranteeing the free movement of people across the continent,” he stated.
Beyond South Africa, Hon. Afenyo-Markin also paid tribute to Ghanaian traders killed earlier this year in Titao, Burkina Faso, describing them as “breadwinners who deserved protection, not death,” after they were attacked by jihadist militants while engaging in cross-border trade.
The Minority Leader’s intervention has reignited conversations within the ECOWAS bloc about the safety of African migrants, the enforcement of regional protocols, and the urgent need for coordinated action against xenophobia and cross-border insecurity.
“Some battles are worth fighting,” he concluded. “Every second on that floor was for our people and today was proof of why.”
Source: Felix NYAABA/ expressnewsghana.com