Deputy Government Spokesperson Shamima Muslim accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth wing of repeatedly showing disrespect during a recent demonstration over the government’s South Africa evacuation exercise. Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Ms Muslim said the protesters were received respectfully and allowed to present their petition, but disrupted proceedings when she attempted to respond.
She said she had intended to acknowledge receipt of the petition and assure the protesters that it would be forwarded to the Chief of Staff’s Office for onward submission to the President. “I received it, and I was supposed to now make a very final comment about accepting the petition and assuring them that the petition will be submitted to the Chief of Staff’s Office for onward referral to the President’s attention,” she said. However, some protesters began singing and chanting as soon as she took the microphone, preventing her from completing her remarks.
Ms Muslim described the incident as part of a recurring pattern, citing previous encounters involving former government officials and presidential staff. “They did it to Nana Yaa Jantua, they did it to Sammy Ayeh, a presidential staffer, when they refused to hand over their petition because they said they wanted a senior person from the Presidency,” she said. She urged the NPP leadership to advise its supporters, describing their conduct as a recurring concern rather than an isolated incident. “It’s a character thing, and they should look at it and try to advise themselves before they set out. You know, it’s a character thing. It’s not a one‑off thing,” she said.
Ms Muslim rejected attempts to justify the conduct on the grounds of the charged atmosphere surrounding political demonstrations, saying protesters had a responsibility to respect the process. She said the government would continue to receive opposition groups and allow them to present their grievances. “They can protest as many times as they want. As you have seen, we have not arrested anybody. We did not manhandle anybody,” she said. She confirmed that the petition submitted by the NPP youth wing had been forwarded to the Office of the Chief of Staff for consideration, and that the government would examine the demands and act on them if it found merit in the issues raised.
