Government Clarifies Allegations That Ghanaian Was Killed During Anti-Illegal Immigration Protests

• Minister Kubayi disputes Ghana's claims about immigrant protest fatalities
• Victim of violence was shot during robbery, not protests
• Kubayi criticises Ghana for spreading misinformation on diplomatic channels

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, accused the Ghanaian government of spreading inaccurate information regarding recent anti-immigrant protests in South Africa. She disputed diplomatic claims surrounding the death of a Ghanaian national in Cape Town.

According to a government statement issued on 2 July 2026, Kubayi, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, reacted to a diplomatic notice from Accra. The Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed a citizen was fatally shot during irregular migration protests. Kubayi countered that Western Cape law enforcement records show the victim died during a business robbery on 29 June 2026, a day before the demonstrations.

Mmamoloko Kubayi rejects xenophobic labels

Western Cape police confirmed that unknown suspects entered a barbershop on Emms Drive in Nyanga, demanded cash, and shot a 35-year-old male. Authorities classify the motive as an extortion-related crime rather than political or xenophobic violence. Kubayi stated that no fatalities occurred during the actual protests on 30 June 2026, where police deployed heavily in Gauteng and other designated hotspots to maintain public order.

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The minister criticised the Ghanaian authorities for bypassing established diplomatic channels to publish unsubstantiated narratives. Kubayi extended condolences to the family of the deceased and affirmed that local law enforcement is investigating the homicide as a criminal act. She concluded that using isolated criminal incidents to label South Africa as xenophobic remains unacceptable to the state. Kubayi spoke one day after the Inter-Ministerial committee held a briefing on 1 July to discuss migration issues.

View a post about the briefing on X here:

Kubayi Intervenes Over Illegal Bus Drops

Similarly, Briefly News reported that Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi promised state action following a viral video showing undocumented foreign nationals being dropped off in Newlands, Johannesburg. Responding to public concern on 22 June 2026 regarding buses allegedly transporting Malawians, Kubayi clarified that official repatriation buses departing from Durban are escorted by government agents directly to the border.

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She stated that the vehicles in the video operated outside state authority, labelling the unauthorised drop-offs inhumane and unlawful. Kubayi confirmed that enforcement teams were deployed to locate the operators responsible and properly process the individuals involved.

Source: Briefly News