MTN Ghana establishes GH¢20 million fund for returnees from South Africa

By: Eugene Dogbatse Atsu
Mobile Telephone Networks (MTN) Ghana has set up a GH¢20 million support fund to help Ghanaians returning from South Africa rebuild their lives after renewed xenophobic attacks.

The intervention was announced by the Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr. Ishmael Yamson, who said the company was shifting its focus from short-term relief to long-term support for affected citizens. The fund is expected to assist returnees who lost businesses, jobs and sources of income due to the violence.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News on August 20, Dr. Yamson disclosed that MTN Ghana had initially allocated GH¢10 million for the returnees but later doubled the amount after assessing the scale of the challenges they faced.

“We will do it in a big way. We’ll do it in a way that will make more meaning,” he said, emphasizing the company’s commitment to helping returnees regain economic independence.

According to him, the GH¢20 million package will be used to establish a dedicated fund aimed at supporting the reintegration of returnees into society.

He noted that many of those arriving in Ghana had left behind years of investments and livelihoods in South Africa.

Dr. Yamson also acknowledged that MTN Ghana should have responded more quickly to the crisis. He expressed regret over the delay and revealed that the company ought to have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier in coordinating support for affected nationals.

“It’s something that I regret, because we should have moved faster,” he admitted while stressing that the delay did not reflect a lack of concern for the victims.

He therefore strongly condemned the attacks and distanced the company from the violence directed at African migrants in South Africa.

“I condemn it. I completely dissociate MTN Ghana from it. We have nothing to do with it,” he stated.

Dr. Yamson further commended organizations that have already provided support to the returnees, including Telecel and The Church of Pentecost, and called for a united national response to help affected Ghanaians rebuild their futures.