Ghana has postponed a planned meeting between President John Mahama and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa amid rising anti-immigrant violence in South Africa.

Ghana’s Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, announced the decision on Tuesday, saying the visit, originally scheduled for August, was deferred over concerns that the ongoing unrest could overshadow the meeting’s agenda.

“We sent a diplomatic communication to the South African government that we believe it is best to defer their visit,” Kwakye Ofosu said.

“We value the relationship we have with South Africa,” he added, noting that recent violence against foreigners was likely to distract from the objectives of the meeting.

The postponement comes as Ghana and South Africa face diplomatic tensions over a wave of protests, some of them violent, targeting migrants in South Africa.

However, both countries offered differing accounts of the cancelled engagement.

While Ghana described it as a planned state visit, South Africa said it was an official visit intended to co-chair a session of the Binational Commission on Cooperation between the two countries, citing an earlier diplomatic communication from Ghana’s High Commission.

A spokesperson for President Ramaphosa’s office said Ghana requested the postponement but did not provide a clear reason.

In recent weeks, South Africa has witnessed widespread protests against undocumented migrants, who have been blamed by some groups for unemployment and pressure on public resources. Reports indicate that even documented foreign nationals have also been targeted, prompting many migrants to leave the country.

Despite the postponement, Kwakye Ofosu maintained that relations between both countries remain cordial but criticised the South African government for not doing enough to protect foreign nationals.

“Our relations remain cordial,” he said, adding that “the South African government could have done more” to ensure the safety of foreigners.