Ghana committed to strengthening bilateral relations with South Africa despite postponement of BNC – Mahama
President John Mahama says Ghana remains committed to strengthening its longstanding friendship and bilateral relations with South Africa despite the postponement of the third session of the countries' Bi-National Commission (BNC).
Ghana's President John Mahama emphasized the country's unwavering dedication to bolstering its historic friendship and bilateral ties with South Africa, despite the recent postponement of the third session of the Bi-National Commission (BNC). Mahama attributed the delay to prevailing challenges impacting people-to-people relations between the two nations.
In a ceremony where he received the letters of credence from South Africa's new High Commissioner, Ms Linda Vuyolwethu Shongwe, and ten other envoys, he reiterated Ghana's commitment to deepening the partnership, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the strong bonds of friendship and solidarity that have long existed between Ghana and South Africa.
Mahama highlighted that the postponement of the BNC session was due to challenges affecting the two countries' people-to-people relations. However, he affirmed Ghana's resolve to enhance bilateral relations, stating, "In the interest of our long-standing bonds of friendship and solidarity, Ghana is committed to further enhancing bilateral relations between our two countries."
He also acknowledged a virtual senior officials meeting held in the first quarter of 2026, where discussions were held on the status of the implementation of decisions made at the second BNC.
The Bi-National Commission is a formal bilateral cooperation mechanism between Ghana and South Africa, focusing on areas of mutual interest such as trade, investment, security, education, tourism, and diplomatic relations. The postponement of the third BNC session came amidst heightened diplomatic tensions in June and July 2026, triggered by renewed anti-foreigner protests and xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Ghana's government expressed concerns that the prevailing atmosphere could undermine the objectives of the bilateral engagement, originally scheduled for August 4-7, 2026, in Accra.
Mahama also took the opportunity to congratulate South Africa on successfully concluding its G20 presidency, praising the country's efforts in advocating for Africa's priorities on the global stage.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
