TEMA, Ghana, 30th May: Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has blamed the South African government under President Cyril Ramaphosa for the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting African foreign nationals living in South Africa.
According to Mr. Koomson, no responsible government would allow such incidents to escalate to the current level, arguing that the attacks expose a lack of leadership and control by the South African authorities.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, May 30, Mr. Koomson expressed concern over the government’s response to the situation, stating that President Ramaphosa appears unable to effectively address the attacks. He suggested that the South African leader could face serious political consequences.
Mr. Koomson further argued that the governing African National Congress (ANC) has been weakened since the formation of the coalition government, making it increasingly difficult for President Ramaphosa to intervene decisively in matters affecting foreign African nationals.
He described the attacks as unfortunate and unprecedented, insisting that such actions against fellow Africans should not be tolerated anywhere on the continent.
Drawing a comparison with Ghana, he noted that when tensions arose between local traders and foreign nationals over trading activities, the government swiftly intervened through diplomatic engagement and dialogue to restore peace and order.
According to him, when governments fail to act responsibly, citizens often take matters into their own hands, leading to lawlessness and disorder.
“If a government is not serious and responsible, that is when you see citizens behaving the way some groups are behaving in South Africa today,” he stated.
Mr. Koomson also defended criticism directed at Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, leader of the March and March movement, which has been linked to anti-foreigner campaigns. He argued that a strong and effective government would have enforced the law long before the situation reached its current stage.
He maintained that the South African government has lost control of the situation and must take immediate steps to restore law and order while protecting all residents, regardless of their nationality.
Mr. Koomson further asserted that the continued attacks should be viewed as a failure of governance, stressing that leaders must be capable of calling their citizens to order and ensuring the safety of all people within their borders.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭
