South African opposition leader Julius Malema has expressed his disappointment with Ghana’s decision to evacuate its citizens from South Africa following recent xenophobic tensions.
According to Malema, the Ghanaian government should have pursued a more diplomatic approach, arguing that only a small section of South Africans was involved in the attacks targeting foreign nationals.
“The Ghana response was not necessary because it now creates an impression that we are all like that, when it is a certain section of our society that needs to be contained by law enforcement,” he stated.
He further argued that Ghana moved too hastily to begin the evacuation exercise.
“We think it was too quick. We will still resolve this, and the President of Ghana should have given us some time to really deal with this matter, and we will get to the bottom of it,” he added.
Malema acknowledged that the situation remains highly emotional, but insisted that the actions of a few individuals should not define the entire country.
“We don’t think Ghana responded in a manner that really reinforces dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
It actually creates a very bad and extreme situation. It is a select few, and we are persuading the government to act against those few,” he said.