Dr. Yirenyi Gyekye Darko, Chairman of the Ghanaian community in Mthatha, a town in South Africa, has admonished Ghanaians in the community to stay indoors, ahead of a demonstration scheduled for today, Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Residents in Mthatha will be protesting over growing concerns about the presence of foreigners in the country, and will be calling for job opportunities to be prioritised for locals.
The two-hour planned protest is scheduled to commence at 9:00 a.m. and end around 11:00 a.m. and expected to be led by local South Africans who argue that foreigners are taking over employment opportunities meant for the citizens.
Meanwhile, Dr. Darko says he has advised Ghanaians in the community to stay indoors until the protest is over before coming out to open their shops.
“We have asked our people to stay indoors and not open their shops until about midday, when the situation is expected to normalise,” he stated.
He explained that the protest is driven by demands for the South African government to prioritise employment for locals, amid claims that foreigners, including Ghanaians, Nigerians, and Zimbabweans, are taking their jobs.
“The demonstrators are calling for priority to be given to South Africans. Their main concern is that foreigners have taken their jobs,” he added.
He, however, indicated that he has engaged local police authorities who have assured him that the protest will be peaceful and closely monitored.
“I spoke to one of the station commanders, and he confirmed that there will be a peaceful demonstration. The police are taking precautionary measures to ensure everything remains under control,” he said.
