- South African Companies Must Share Cost of Evacuating Ghanaians — Kofi Bentil
Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has called on South African companies operating in Ghana to contribute to the cost of evacuating Ghanaians affected by recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Speaking on The KeyPoints on May 30, Mr Bentil said companies that benefit from markets across the continent have a responsibility to publicly condemn violence against Africans and support communities affected by such attacks.
“Companies that make billions across Africa cannot remain silent when Africans are attacked in their home country. What the government is doing comes at a cost. They must bear part of the cost,” he said.
His comments come as Ghana undertakes an evacuation exercise for citizens caught up in attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
Mr Bentil argued that South African businesses operating in Ghana and other African markets must demonstrate corporate responsibility by taking a clear position against xenophobia and assisting victims.
He said the matter should not be reduced only to immigration status, arguing that every person within a country’s territory deserves protection under the law.
“If anybody enters your territory, you have a responsibility to protect that person,” he stated
The IMANI Vice-President said the recurring nature of attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa suggests a deeper governance and accountability failure.
“When something happens once, it may be accidental. Twice may be coincidence. By the third time, it becomes a pattern that demands accountability,” he said.
Mr Bentil said Ghana must treat attacks on its citizens abroad as a serious national matter, insisting that the protection of citizens must rise above partisan politics.
“When citizens of a country are under attack, the country itself is under attack,” he said.
He commended the government’s evacuation efforts, noting that he had previously proposed emergency flights to bring Ghanaians home if their safety could no longer be guaranteed.
“There are times when a nation must assert itself, and one of those times is when its citizens are under attack,” he added.
Mr Bentil also criticised the African Union, saying continental institutions have failed to respond effectively to problems affecting ordinary Africans.
According to him, the AU and other regional bodies must do more to protect citizens and hold member states accountable when repeated attacks occur.
He further suggested that Ghana should reassess aspects of its economic relationship with South African businesses if meaningful action is not taken to address the violence.
While clarifying that he was not calling for attacks on South African businesses or citizens, Mr Bentil said the government has legitimate diplomatic, legal, economic and regulatory tools it can use to defend national interests.
“We must ensure that our citizens are respected wherever they are. There has to be accountability and there has to be consequences,” he said.
The call adds a new corporate accountability dimension to the diplomatic fallout from the attacks.
South African companies have a strong presence in Ghana’s telecommunications, retail, banking, insurance, hospitality, logistics and media sectors. Mr Bentil’s argument is that firms operating across African borders cannot enjoy continental markets while remaining silent when Africans are targeted in their country of origin.
In a continent increasingly built on regional trade, investment and mobility, corporate citizenship may now require more than profit-making. It may also require public responsibility when the dignity and safety of fellow Africans are at stake.
