On Saturday, October 24, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quashie, dismissed claims that evacuees slept in buses during the GH¢49.72 million evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, he confirmed that all evacuees were accommodated in hotels before boarding their chartered flights.
Quashie explained that the mission arranged for buses to transport evacuees from distant provinces such as the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and East London to Pretoria, with the buses paid for by the mission. He added that evacuees were taken to hotels in Pretoria to rest and refresh before their flights.
“Not a single individual slept in a bus; it was impossible,” Quashie said, noting that the arrangement was designed to reduce costs while ensuring passengers arrived in Pretoria ahead of their scheduled departures. He challenged anyone who claimed to have slept in a bus to come forward, while acknowledging that long bus journeys from places like the Northern Cape and Cape Town could involve overnight travel.
Quashie’s remarks come amid scrutiny over the cost of the evacuation exercise. The mission’s spokesperson said the arrangements were intended to provide comfort and save money, with food and other necessities supplied to evacuees during their stay in hotels.
Observers will watch how the Ghanaian government responds to further inquiries about the evacuation logistics and the use of public funds for the operation.
