Foreign Affairs Ministry Submits 200-Page Report on GH¢49.7m South Africa Evacuation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a report running into more than 200 pages to Parliament’s Minority, providing details on Ghana’s recent evacuation of citizens from South Africa.

The report was submitted electronically on Friday, September 18, 2026, following a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee.

According to information from the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, the documents include details on more than 1,900 Ghanaians who were evacuated, including their contact information and signatures.

The evacuation exercise, which was carried out between May 27 and September 4, 2026, brought 1,964 Ghanaian nationals back home from South Africa at a total cost of GH¢49.72 million.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa previously disclosed the expenditure at a press conference on September 7.

How the GH¢49.7 million was spent

Documents submitted by the Ministry indicate that GH¢38.84 million was spent on the core logistics of the evacuation.

This included chartered flights, commercial airline tickets, transportation on the ground, food, accommodation and medical support for the returnees.

Another GH¢10.8 million was allocated to reintegration and transportation allowances.

The Ministry also spent GH¢84,274 to facilitate the repatriation of the remains of two Ghanaian nationals.

Government funding accounted for GH¢33.72 million of the total cost, while Engineers and Planners contributed GH¢16 million towards the exercise.

RTI request was filed during the evacuation

The latest disclosure follows an RTI application submitted by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh while the evacuation operation was still ongoing.

The Minority sought detailed information on the financial and operational aspects of the exercise to enable Parliament and the public to examine how the funds were used.

Among the documents requested were records relating to flights, procurement, payments, contributions from private organization's and assistance provided to returnees after their arrival in Ghana.

The evacuation officially ended on September 4, when the final group of 41 returnees arrived in Ghana.

Minority wants supporting documents

The Minority has stressed that its concerns are cent red on accountability for the GH¢49.7 million spent on the exercise.

Its representatives have said they did not object to bringing home Ghanaians who were facing threats in South Africa. Rather, they wanted the expenditure backed by appropriate documentation.

The requested records include invoices, receipts, payment vouchers, contracts and procurement documents covering areas such as flights, accommodation, food, medical care and reintegration assistance.

The Ministry's submission is expected to provide Parliament with the information needed to examine the expenditure and operational arrangements surrounding the evacuation.

Ministry requests audit of evacuation exercises since 2017

In a separate move aimed at strengthening accountability, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has asked the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit of evacuation exercises carried out by the Ministry from 2017 to 2026.

Documents reviewed by MyJoyOnline indicate that the request was submitted to the Auditor-General on September 17, 2026.

The proposed audit will therefore cover not only the recent South Africa evacuation, but also previous evacuation operations conducted by the Ministry over the period.

The development comes as Parliament and the public continue to seek greater clarity on the financial management of major government-funded evacuation exercises.