Ghana takes xenophobia petition to AU: Dr Kingsley Makhubela weighs in

[00:00:00]Welcome back to this unfolding diplomatic spat between South Africa and Ghana. If we can call it a spat. Ghana has now secured the backing of fellow ECOWAS member states. That's the economic community of West African states member states for its petition to the African Union over what it describes as xenophobic attacks in this country.

[00:00:23]International relations expert and former ambassador Dr. Kingsley Makhubela joins us now to weigh in on the diplomatic implications of that move.

[00:00:31]Good evening. Thank you for your time.

[00:00:33]This comes from the 69th ordinary session of the ECOWAS authority of heads of state and government and it was held in Lungi in Republic of Sierra Leone. Um and it comes to a resolution that says they ECOWAS authority of heads of state will now back Ghana's petition for the AU to table this issue as a debate at at its upcoming assembly. How big of a a victory a diplomatic coup is this for Ghana in this sort of uh I don't know subtle spat between South Africa and Ghana?

[00:01:16]>> Uh Tulani so good evening.

[00:01:18]I I think Ghana would have preferred a resolution uh that ECOWAS would lift up the matter to uh the next heads of state summit. The fact that the summit took a decision to support Ghana not to take a resolution that this is the position of the East African community is quite telling on its own. It means there are converging views within uh the the authority. So there's no consensus.

[00:01:51]That's that's what it tells you. But what is concerning Tulani so is where you look at um um uh I think paragraph 49, the language it's uh it's it's not the language that it's used by a summit of heads of state.

[00:02:07]Heads of state try to nuance their language very carefully. It doesn't matter how delicate and problematic the issue is to to really say this despicable uh act.

[00:02:22]Uh I think it's it's it's not the language that is used by the summit, and that's really regrettable. It shows lack of diplomatic nuance in terms of uh uh the summit.

[00:02:32]>> So, I I'm interested in the first point you make there, Dr. Makubela, the subtle nuance that is entailed in paragraph 51, where the authority of the heads of state decides to support Ghana's decision to table the matter as an agenda item. You are saying there's something to be read in the fact that it's not tabled as the authority decides to table the matter at the AU assembly.

[00:02:59]>> Absolutely. That's where that's where the challenge is, and I think the authority understands that it's not its mandate to table a matter that's related to a to a totally different region of the African continent.

[00:03:15]And that's why they're very careful to say this is their decision. So, it means Ghana is the one that must motivate for this and must go and lobby for this to be included as an agenda item. And I think I think it's quite clear, Tulasi's way, that the summit did not want to take this as its position. What they did is to support a fellow member state who's raising concern to say, "Well, we support you to elevate this matter to the summit, so it's up to you now." So, Ghana is on its own. It's not a matter of ECOWAS that is going to the summit.

[00:03:51]It's a matter of Ghana on its own raising this matter to the summit.

[00:03:55]>> In response, Pretoria has said that the attempt to isolate South Africa from the rest of the continent, to diplomatically isolate South Africa, will fail. So, it's clear now, is it, Dr. Makubela, that something is not right between South Africa and Ghana in terms of that relationship? Something seems to be broken, and and and Pretoria saying that they will not fall for that and and and and this whole issue of almost being backed into a corner where any talk of regularizing and and and implementing the country's migration laws, enforcing them, is then taken in the way that it's taken in Ghana, that they will not back down to that. But, clearly something is broken in that relationship, isn't it?

[00:04:41]>> Quite honestly, Tulasi's web, it means there's tension between Ghana and South Africa. Under normal circumstances, you would have expected a diplomatic exchange on this matter and finding a resolution between the two countries. The fact that you don't see that and you see in this exchange of notes, it it's quite concerning that this matter has reached this stage. But, but what is very critical on this issue, Tulasi's web, it's how Ghana is going to navigate this and to take a matter that belong to a total different subregion and elevate it to the summit without the consultation and without the concurrence of the region concerned. That's where the big issue Ghana will be confronted with.

[00:05:27]And the fact that again, Tulasi's, the the communique is not addressing the fact that they should have urged West African national to respect the laws and immigration regulations of South Africa.

[00:05:42]To have a a balanced statement that really addresses that, they should have done that.

[00:05:46]>> Well, perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves and as a parting shot, how do you foresee the debate now that that Ghana is proposing for the AU Assembly of Heads of State? How do you foresee it unfolding because South Africa through presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has said, "Bring it on. We are happy you are bringing on this debate.

[00:06:07]We look forward to engaging you on the nuances that have to do with migration and the push and pull factors." But given that for instance on the issue of whether or not there's been violence and and and the killing, specifically killing of Ghanaian nationals in South Africa, which Pretoria rejects that there are any killings related to the protests, but Ghana insists that actually there have been, how do you foresee that playing itself out in terms of the battle of the narrative at that debate?

[00:06:38]>> I think I think this is one area, Tulas, is where I would support the president sending envoys to different subregions to really go and explain this because the Ghanaians, quite honestly, they're basing themselves on a deep fake and fake news that has been circulating. If you look at some of the uh footages they're relying on, they've been doctored. Of course there are problems.

[00:07:01]There have been problems in the past, attacks on foreign nationals that majority of South Africans don't identify with. They reject that. So that's quite clear. But this is one area that I think the president should send envoys to go and speak to different subregions to explain exactly what's going on and really to try to defeat the scene that South Africa should become an agenda item of the AU on an issue that South Africa it seemed to be handling, notwithstanding the weaknesses within South Africa to try to deal with this issue. There are issues that I think South Africa should have done better in terms of dealing with this, particularly taking away this this seem un- controllable uh activities of civil society and vigilantes to attack people at any time. So Sarraj should should have done better in terms of dealing with those issues.

[00:07:54]>> All right. Let's leave it there for this evening. Thank you for your time and your insights. Dr. Kings Lim Kobela is international relations expert and a former ambassador weighing in there on the developments coming out of ECOWAS feeding into the African Union.