Gov't Secures 200 Jobs For Evacuees From South Africa

The government has secured about 200 job opportunities to help reintegrate Ghanaians returning from South Africa following the recent xenophobic incidents in the nation.

The initiative was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at a news conference on Monday, July 27, as an extension of the government’s reintegration of evacuees.

The minister says the employment prospects are secured through partnerships with private sector organisations and Ghanaian owned companies that have pledged to help returnees start anew.

“As part of the reintegration initiative, approximately 200 employment opportunities have so far been secured through partnerships with patriotic Ghanaian businesses and private sector organisations,” Ablakwa said.

The Minister shared that engineering firm Engineers & Planners, owned by Ibrahim Mahama has pledged to recruit 100 returning Ghanaians, while telecommunications companies such as Telecel, AirtelTigo and other corporate bodies have committed to employ some of them.

“We will continue discussions with the private sector to expand employment opportunities for returning Ghanaian nationals,” he added.

Aside the employment opportunities, the minister disclosed that government government has implemented policies to support the returnees' long-term reintegration.

For the first six months following their return, social workers will make routine follow-up visits, he said, and a separate helpline has been set up to offer mental health care to individuals who are suffering from psychological trauma.

The reintegration programme was put in place as part of government's response to the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, forcing thousands of Ghanaians in the African nation to seek evacuation. 

Ghana has over the past weeks evacuated nearly 1,000 nationals from South Africa, with 1,000 more expected to return to the country in the second phase of the evacuation exercise.