South Africa rejects Ghana’s claim of xenophobic killing during anti-immigrant protests

CAPE TOWN, July 2 — South African police on Thursday rejected claims by Ghana’s foreign ministry that the killing of a Ghanaian national in Cape Town was linked to anti-immigrant protests on June 30, saying the incident was instead being investigated as an extortion-related murder.

In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape said the victim was shot on Monday in Nyanga and that preliminary findings pointed to extortion as the motive.

“Official crime scene reports indicate that the deceased male person, later identified as 35-year-old Mr. Kwabena Boagen, was shot at the Nyanga Terminus in front of NTG hair salon and shoe repairs at approximately 15:45 on Monday in circumstances that point to the crime of extortion by yet-to-be-arrested gunmen,” read the police statement.