I do not pretend to speak for anyone but myself in this response to the video you sent. Even my government in Ghana may be surprised by my position on this matter, because my views do not always coincide with theirs.
For example, in the video clip under reference, Ghana’s 6.4% GDP growth is referred to almost with reverence. I think this is Neoliberal superficiality misleading many. Ghana must deal with throttling mass misery.
But much of this is political hallucination betrayed in the video you sent; it is just like Chicken Licken crying that the sky is falling because an acorn dropped on its head.
I make you aware that, to generate conversation, I will circulate this response to others, referring to you only as a very senior member of the ANC. I do not want to trigger internal recriminations in the power contests of the ANC.
It seems to me that Ramaphosa and his government are surprised that Ghana acted to repatriate its citizens.
If South Africa has a sovereign right to act to control illegal immigration which it does others have an equal right to protect their citizens.
SA even has a right, if it sadly chooses that path, to exercise amnesia towards African solidarity in the anti‑Apartheid struggle.
The only sticking point is that SA must ensure due process is applied by controlling the xenophobic mobs. I am unclear what is difficult to understand about this.
The rest of the video is pure paranoia, as I see it. Don’t take only my word for it; call any number of Ghanaians you know, in the know, and ask whether they are aware of some bid to overthrow SA as an economic powerhouse. Most will not.
Ghana still exports lots of gold to SA. The biggest telco in Ghana is from SA. Where is the attempt to make SA a pariah? And for what?
Speaking for myself, as a Pan‑Africanist, I’m saddened to see this episode of xenophobia. Yet I know its roots in political‑economy forces, particularly failed development.
But I am infuriated by the arrogance and condescension of some South African intellectuals on the matter. When we are told that Ghanaians will be made to suffer because visa exemptions will be withdrawn, it takes all the maturity in the world not to shout: “Go to hell!”
Withdraw that exemption. I’ll say immediately to the Ghanaian government: retaliate. Then we can all sit down and talk.
No African, no human, has an inherent right to talk down to another; a sense of superiority that fuels condescension must be condemned.
The xenophobic problem has arisen from failed governance under Ramaphosa, in this phase at least. This has led to broken institutions and mass poverty, both a legacy of SA history.
Ramaphosa must face up to this and offer real leadership, both in and outside SA. Instead, he is acting anti‑xenophobic outside SA, but anti‑Pan‑Africanist inside SA. A populist posture on both sides.
Singapore and China both have some very poor neighbours, yet their strong institutions ensure that they are not overwhelmed by illegal immigrants.
Rather than this paranoia that South Africa is being targeted for destruction by someone, can Ramaphosa act seriously and offer real leadership. The African people can solve this problem. But leadership must show up first.
We hear Thabo Mbeki, Julius Malema, Nkosazana Dlamini‑Zuma, Matthews Phosa, Jay Naidoo and others, and we are proud of our solidarity with our South African brothers and sisters.
This is not the time to give in to paranoia, because the days when Africans anywhere could be lynched by racist or xenophobic mobs with impunity are, or should be over.
Ramaphosa’s government must ensure that due process, not mindless mobs, is deployed in dealing with immigration. That should not be too much to ask.
But if he does not, he should not be surprised if Africans everywhere rise up in self‑defence, by any means necessary.
