South Africa and Ghana in row over killing of Ghanaian migrant in Cape Town

A diplomatic row has erupted between South Africa and Ghana, over claims that a Ghanaian man was killed during anti-migrant protests, which South African officials deny.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs ministry said it had received with “profound shock” reports that Bashiru Isak, 40, had been shot dead on Tuesday in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha’s township. It said it had sent a formal protest note and filed a complaint with the police.

South Africa’s justice minister responded by expressing concern “that Ghanaian authorities continue to communicate false information about South Africa regarding developments on irregular migration”.

The police said they had “no record of the Khayelitsha murder”.

They did say they were investigating the killing, a day earlier, of 35-year-old Ghanaian Kwabena Boagen allegedly in extortion-linked crime in a different Cape Town township, Nyanga.

South African police said Boagen lived in Khayelitsha area but worked in Nyanga, where the crime occurred. It said a post-mortem was being done in line with its protocols.

The police had earlier told the BBC that suspects allegedly entered the barbershop where Boagen was working and demanded money from him before he was shot. The suspects fled the scene and so far no arrests have been made.

Referring to the statement by Ghanaian authorities, the police said: “An earnest plea is made to the authorities in question to provide details of the Khayelitsha incident to the [police] in order for the matter to be probed further.”

South African foreign ministry official Clayson Monyela told the BBC that claims linking the Ghanaian’s death to the anti-migrant protests were a “fabricated tale”.