Minority Boycotts Closed-Door Meeting on South Africa Evacuation Costs

The Minority Caucus on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has declined to participate in a closed-door meeting on the evacuation and reintegration of Ghanaians from South Africa, demanding full disclosure of expenditure on the exercise.

The Caucus says it will only join the meeting after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides an itemised account and supporting documents showing how funds allocated to the exercise were spent.

The Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa expected to brief members on the evacuation.

In a statement signed by the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minority said it had formally requested information on the exercise under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) but had yet to receive the requested records.

According to the statement, the request, submitted on August 17 and received by the Ministry on August 25, sought details on expenditure and sources of funding, including contributions from private partners, transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical services and reintegration payments.

The Minority said the Minister subsequently disclosed on September 7 that nearly GH¢50 million had been spent on evacuating and reintegrating 1,964 Ghanaians.

The Caucus argues that without access to the underlying financial records, it cannot meaningfully participate in a closed-door discussion on the same matter.

“In these circumstances, the Minority does not consider it appropriate to participate in a closed-door meeting intended to discuss the same subject matter while its formal request for the underlying expenditure records remains outstanding.”

It therefore announced that it will not participate in Wednesday’s meeting unless the Ministry provides the requested itemised expenditure account and supporting documentation.

The Minority has renewed its demand for full disclosure of the expenditure, stressing the need for accountability in the use of public funds.