The Ghana High Commission in Pretoria has clarified discrepancies identified in records relating to the Government of Ghana’s evacuation exercise from South Africa, attributing the anomalies to minor clerical errors rather than irregularities in the evacuation process.
In a statement issued on October 19, the High Commission responded to media reports and a data analysis by JoyNews which suggested that reintegration and transportation allowances were paid to individuals whose recorded dates of birth appeared to be in the future.
The mission acknowledged responsibility for what it described as minor administrative errors affecting 15 people out of the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated during the exercise.
According to the High Commission, the discrepancies arose because some passport expiry dates were mistakenly entered and subsequently interpreted as dates of birth in official records.
It maintained that all evacuees underwent the required identification, data-processing and departure procedures before being evacuated from South Africa.
“Our verification of the records indicates that the dates interpreted as dates of birth were, in fact, passport expiry dates,” the statement said, adding that transcription errors may have occurred during the processing of passport details by officials.
The High Commission stressed that the errors did not invalidate the identities of the affected individuals, their participation in the evacuation programme, or their eligibility to receive approved reintegration and transportation support.
To address public concerns, the mission released corrected details of the affected individuals and indicated that an amended list had been prepared to facilitate the updating of records.
The statement also clarified the status of the Jibril family, comprising a mother and five children, noting that the group travelled on Emergency Travel Certificates as reflected in the revised documentation.
The High Commission said the corrected information confirms both the identities of the evacuees and the validity of their travel documents.
While reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the mission urged media organisations to seek verification from the appropriate official sources whenever discrepancies are identified in administrative records.
It also defended the evacuation exercise, describing it as a critical intervention that helped save the lives of distressed Ghanaians and ensured their safe return home.
“The High Commission remains available to provide any necessary clarification and respectfully urges the media and the general public to be guided by the verified and corrected records,” the statement concluded.
The clarification comes amid public scrutiny of records relating to the evacuation exercise, with the High Commission insisting that the identified discrepancies were administrative in nature and did not affect the integrity of the operation or the legitimacy of payments made to beneficiaries.