MTN Ghana has warned against retaliatory attacks on South African-linked businesses operating in Ghana, cautioning that such actions could ultimately harm Ghanaian workers, shareholders, and the wider economy.
Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr. Ishmael Yamson, issued the warning amid growing anger over xenophobic attacks targeting Ghanaians and other African nationals in South Africa.
He argued that businesses operating in Ghana should not become targets of revenge, stressing that MTN Ghana has deep local ownership and employs predominantly Ghanaian workers.
Retaliation Could Hurt Ghanaians
Dr Yamson said more than 120,000 Ghanaians are shareholders in MTN Ghana, while about 98 per cent of the company’s workforce is Ghanaian.
He therefore cautioned that attacks on the company or other South African-linked businesses could end up affecting the very Ghanaians such actions may be intended to defend.
He also pointed to MTN Ghana’s contribution to the local economy, describing the company as one of the country’s major taxpayers.
According to him, MTN Ghana operates under Ghanaian law and should be regarded as a Ghanaian corporate citizen rather than simply an extension of its South African parent company.
“MTN Ghana is a corporate citizen of Ghana. It is not MTN South Africa,” he said.
MTN apologizes for Delayed Condemnation
Dr Yamson also apologized for MTN Ghana’s delay in publicly condemning the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Speaking to JoyNews, he acknowledged that the company’s size and influence in Ghana created an expectation that it would take a clear public position earlier.
“I apologize that we haven’t done that,” he said.
He subsequently condemned the attacks without reservation and stressed that MTN Ghana had no connection to the violence.
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“We condemn it unreservedly. We have nothing to do with it. We dissociate ourselves from it completely,” he stated.
Xenophobic Attacks Condemned
Dr Yamson described the attacks on African migrants in South Africa as unacceptable and said they were inconsistent with efforts to promote African unity and integration.
He questioned how South Africa could champion continental integration while African nationals continued to face hostility and violence.
“What is happening in South Africa is bad. And I can tell you that we are angry,” he said.
Despite the anger, he maintained that retaliatory attacks in Ghana would not provide a solution and could instead deepen the impact of the crisis on Ghanaian workers, investors and businesses.
MTN Ghana has therefore urged calm while distancing itself from the xenophobic violence and reaffirming its commitment to Ghana and its local stakeholders.
