Police say Cape Town murder was linked to extortion, not anti-immigrant protests….reports Africa Daily News Desk
South African police on Thursday dismissed claims by Ghana that the killing of a Ghanaian national in Cape Town was connected to anti-immigrant protests, saying preliminary investigations indicate the victim was murdered in an extortion-related attack unrelated to the demonstrations.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape said the victim, identified as 35-year-old Kwabena Boagen, was shot dead on Monday at the Nyanga Terminus in Cape Town, with initial findings suggesting extortion as the motive, according to Xinhua news agency.
In a statement, SAPS said Boagen was attacked at around 3:45 p.m. outside the NTG hair salon and shoe repair shop by unidentified gunmen.
“Official crime scene reports indicate that the deceased male person… was shot at the Nyanga Terminus… in circumstances that point to the crime of extortion by yet-to-be-arrested gunmen,” the police said.
The victim was declared dead at the scene, and Nyanga detectives have launched a murder investigation. Police said they are working closely with the victim’s family and are pursuing those responsible.
The clarification came after Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alleged earlier on Thursday that a 40-year-old Ghanaian, Bashiru Isak, had been killed during anti-immigrant demonstrations that erupted across South Africa on June 30 amid renewed xenophobic tensions.
Ghana strongly condemned what it described as an attack driven by rising xenophobia against African migrants and called for a full, transparent and expedited investigation. It also urged South African authorities to strengthen protection for Ghanaian citizens and said arrangements were being made to repatriate the victim’s body.
Rejecting the allegation, SAPS said Boagen’s killing occurred a day before the nationwide anti-immigrant protests and at a different location, making any connection between the two incidents inaccurate.
Police also challenged Ghana’s reference to a separate murder in Khayelitsha, saying they had no record of such a case.
“The South African Police Service bears no record of the Khayelitsha murder,” SAPS said, urging the Ghanaian authorities to share details of the alleged incident so it could be investigated further.
South African police reiterated that there was no evidence linking Boagen’s murder to the anti-immigrant demonstrations and maintained that the case remains under investigation as an extortion-related homicide.
