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The South African Presidency has clarified that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s planned trip to Ghana has been postponed rather than rejected, dismissing reports suggesting that the Ghanaian government declined the visit.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, said media reports claiming Ghana had rejected the South African leader’s visit did not accurately reflect the circumstances surrounding the planned engagement.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Tuesday, July 7, Magwenya expressed disappointment over the reporting of the matter, insisting that the engagement between the two countries remains on track despite the postponement.
According to him, the planned visit was tied to the Ghana-South Africa Binational Commission (BNC), a longstanding bilateral framework established to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, and was not a request for a standalone state visit.
He explained that Ghana was scheduled to host the next session of the commission after South Africa hosted the previous meeting in 2024, adding that discussions between the two governments were intended to formally confirm arrangements that had already been agreed upon.
“We are disappointed with the manner in which this matter has been handled and reported because it does not reflect the true nature of the development,” Magwenya said.
“The date had long been agreed that Ghana will host the South Africa-Ghana Binational Commission. This is a regular meeting of the structure that manages cooperation between the two countries.
“The last meeting was held in 2024 and was hosted by South Africa. It follows that Ghana was to host the next iteration of the BNC,” he added.
Magwenya further stated that the correspondence between the two governments was simply a diplomatic formality to confirm the arrangements and should not be interpreted as Ghana rejecting a request for a state visit.
His comments come after reports suggested Ghana had declined a planned visit by President Ramaphosa following concerns over the reported killing of a Ghanaian national and renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.
Ghanaian authorities have raised concerns over the death of 40-year-old Bashiru Isak, who was reportedly killed during demonstrations linked to attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa on June 30, 2026.
The Government of Ghana has since lodged a formal protest with South African authorities over the incident and broader concerns regarding the safety of Ghanaians living in the country.
President Ramaphosa had been expected to visit Ghana in the first week of August to participate in the Ghana-South Africa Binational Commission meeting and other engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.
Following consultations between the two governments, however, the visit has been postponed, with a new date expected to be announced in due course.