Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, has admitted clerical errors in the records of 15 of the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa, explaining that dates showing evacuees “born” in 2034 and 2036 were actually passport expiry dates entered in the wrong column.
The mission made the admission in a press statement dated Monday, October 19, 2026, after a JoyNews data analysis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ evacuation list flagged evacuees with impossible dates of birth.
The High Commission said it “takes responsibility” for the mistakes, which it described as minor clerical errors that “affect only 15 individuals out of the 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated.” It has issued an amended list with corrected details for the affected people.
The clarification comes as the Minority in Parliament and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) continue to question the GH¢49.7 million spent on the evacuation exercise, which Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa insists is fully accounted for.
South Africa evacuation records showed evacuees “born” in 2034 and 2036
The data released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry contained at least 14 names with apparently impossible personal details, according to the JoyNews report.
Examples included Precious Sekyiwaa, recorded as born on October 28, 2034, and James Akoto Baffour, recorded as born on December 26, 2036.
Other entries showed a year of birth recorded as “20232”, a date in the “24th month” of 1989, and a birth date of February 31, 1990.
The findings raised questions about whether reintegration and transportation allowances had been paid to people whose records could not be valid.
High Commission explains passport expiry date mix-up
In its statement, the High Commission said officials may have made mistakes while transcribing passport details during the emergency evacuation, entering passport expiry dates as dates of birth.
It said the errors “do not invalidate the identities of the evacuees,” and did not affect their participation in the exercise or their entitlement to the approved reintegration and transportation allowances.
According to the mission, all evacuees went through the required identification, data-processing and departure formalities before leaving South Africa.
The statement supplied corrected birth and passport expiry dates for named individuals, including James Akoto Baffour, Precious Sekyiwaa, Philip Oduro and Victoria Eduaquah.
Family of six travelled on Emergency Travel Certificates
The High Commission also explained that six members of the Jibril family — a mother and her five children — travelled on Emergency Travel Certificates rather than passports.
It said the family has been added to an amended list to reflect their correct travel documentation.
South Africa evacuation figures at a glance
- Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa: 1,964
- Records with clerical errors: 15 (less than 1% of evacuees)
- Total cost of evacuation: GH¢49,721,786 (about GH¢49.7m)
- Government funding: GH¢33,721,786
- Contribution from Engineers and Planners: GH¢16 million
- Evacuation period: May 27 to September 4, 2026
- Amount Minority says needs further explanation: more than GH¢16.4 million
NPP questions US$750,000 charter flights
The data errors are the latest issue in a wider political row over the evacuation, which followed renewed xenophobic attacks and threats against foreign nationals in South Africa.
On Monday, NPP National Communications Director Dennis Miracles Aboagye said ministry documents showed three charter flights carrying about 900 passengers at US$750,000 each.
The NPP claims its checks put the maximum cost of a comparable charter at US$180,000 to US$300,000. It has demanded the original Ethiopian Airlines invoices, procurement details, and an independent audit by an international firm.
Minister Ablakwa has rejected claims of wrongdoing. “I can state unequivocally without any doubt that not a cedi, not a pesewa is missing,” he told JoyNews. He had earlier said children received the same allowance as adults, as GhanaTrends reported on the GH¢5,500 per-evacuee payment.
High Commission Admits Errors in 15 of 1,964 South Africa Evacuee Records, Says ‘Future Birth Dates’ Were Passport Expiry Dates [VIDEO]
What the evacuation records error means for evacuees
For the 15 affected evacuees, the High Commission says nothing changes: their identities, participation and allowances remain valid, and their records are being corrected.
The mission urged the media and the public to rely on the corrected records and to verify discrepancies with official sources, including the Ghana High Commission in South Africa, before publication.
“Fundamentally, we are proud of our efforts and sacrifices to save the lives of Ghanaians and bring them home safely,” the statement said.
What happens next in the evacuation audit row
The Minority in Parliament has called for an independent audit of the GH¢49.7 million exercise, and the NPP wants complete records laid before Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee within seven days.
The NPP says that if its demands are not met, it will back the Minority in Parliament, petition the Auditor-General and use the Right to Information Act. The Foreign Affairs Ministry maintains that all records are available.
Key details at a glance
- Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria admitted clerical errors in a statement dated October 19, 2026.
- 15 of 1,964 evacuee records were affected.
- Future “birth dates” such as 2034 and 2036 were passport expiry dates entered by mistake.
- The mission says the errors do not affect identities or allowances.
- A family of six travelled on Emergency Travel Certificates and has been added to an amended list.
- The evacuation cost GH¢49.7 million and ran from May 27 to September 4, 2026.
- The NPP is demanding an independent audit and the original charter flight invoices.
FAQs
Why did the South Africa evacuation list show people born in 2034?
The Ghana High Commission in Pretoria says officials mistakenly entered passport expiry dates in the date-of-birth field while transcribing passport details.
How many Ghanaians were evacuated from South Africa?
A total of 1,964 Ghanaians were evacuated between May 27 and September 4, 2026, at a cost of about GH¢49.7 million.
Did the evacuees with wrong records still receive allowances?
Yes. The High Commission says the errors do not affect the 15 evacuees’ entitlement to the approved reintegration and transportation allowances.
The High Commission’s admission explains the most eye-catching errors in the evacuation data, but it is unlikely to end the wider dispute over the GH¢49.7 million exercise, with the NPP and the Minority still pressing for invoices, procurement records and an independent audit.
