South Africa Evacuees Defend Government Support Package, Reject Claims They Received Less Than GHC5,500

A group of Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa at the height of recent xenophobic attacks has rejected claims that they were shortchanged in the government relief package, insisting that all 1,900 returnees received the full support announced by government.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, representatives of the evacuees who returned between May 27 and September 4, 2026, said they were appalled that the intervention that saved their lives had become the subject of “unnecessary and unfounded allegations.”

The group, which said it represents all batches evacuated from South Africa, expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, for the evacuation exercise.

“We are a group of aggrieved South Africa evacuees… We are here to register our displeasure with the way we are being treated and humiliated by a section of the Ghanaian public,” the spokesperson said.

According to the evacuees, some of them would have died if not for the swift intervention which included bus transportation, accommodation in South Africa for over two months, feeding, and eventual airlift to Ghana.

They described as false, reports by a section of the media that some evacuees received only GHC2,000 instead of the announced package, or that some received only the transportation or reintegration component.

“For the avoidance of doubt, each and every one of the over 1,900 of us who returned received the same package at the airport, in full view of the cameras,” the group stated.

The package, according to them, included GHC5,000 for reintegration, GHC500 for transportation – totalling GHC5,500 – plus a 5kg bag of rice, cooking oil, a blanket and psychological support. They said they were also registered onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) free of charge, while AirtelTigo provided SIM cards.

“These packages were given to men, women and even infants. Everyone received the same package,” they said, adding that loud announcements were made at the airport about the amount and beneficiaries counted the envelopes before leaving the airport.

The evacuees questioned why allegations of underpayment were emerging four months after their return, despite the distribution being done publicly before journalists and cameras at the airport.

“We saw you at the airports with your cameras. How, then, have we suddenly become ghosts, haunted by allegations that we did not come home or receive exact amounts,” they queried.

They further alleged that some members of the group had received calls and “coaching to speak against the government,” but said their conscience would not allow them to lie, regardless of their political affiliation.

“We are not here to speak for the government. But we are certain in our hearts that we received the best treatment and support as Ghanaians when we needed it most,” they said.

On accountability, the group defended the Foreign Minister’s handling of the expenditure, noting that he had addressed a press conference on September 7, 2026, invited the Auditor-General to audit all evacuations since 2017, submitted reports to Parliament, and responded to a Right to Information (RTI) request with full details on the GHC49.72 million expenditure.

“Taking into account the coordination in South Africa and the support received here in Ghana, we have no doubt that the government was prudent in its expenditure,” they said, adding that the cost of three chartered flights, accommodation in hotels and churches, feeding, medical bills and other logistics could not be compared to the value of their lives.

The press conference ended with a minute’s silence in honour of four Ghanaians who died during the period of the attacks in South Africa.

The evacuees appealed to the public and the media to end what they described as baseless attacks that were affecting their mental health and reintegration, stressing that they lost all personal belongings and property in the attacks and are still struggling to rebuild their lives.