The South African government has strongly dismissed reports suggesting that a Ghanaian national was killed during recent anti-irregular migration demonstrations.

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, speaking in her capacity as chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration, labelled the claims as factually incorrect and urged caution against the spread of misinformation.

The controversy follows a communication from Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleging that one of its citizens had been killed during public demonstrations in South Africa earlier in the week.

However, South African police have clarified that the man in question was killed on Monday, a day before the demonstrations took place, and that the incident was linked to extortion-related criminal activity rather than protest action.

Kubayi stressed that no fatalities were recorded during the protests themselves, although there were isolated incidents of criminal behaviour on the day which were addressed by law enforcement authorities.

She further emphasised that diplomatic concerns should be handled through proper official channels rather than public statements that may spread inaccurate narratives.

The IMC also expressed concern about what it described as the spreading of false information that could reinforce negative perceptions of South Africa, particularly claims suggesting widespread xenophobia.

The government reiterated its condolences to the family of the deceased and assured that a full investigation would be conducted to bring those responsible for the killing to justice.

Authorities have called for restraint in public communication and reinforced their commitment to maintaining law and order while addressing irregular migration challenges through lawful and coordinated processes.