The Member of Parliament for the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti region, Hon. Mubarak Muntaka has called on Ghanaians and Africans to boycott South African products and its companies due to the xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country.

Xenophobic attacks in South Africa have heightened over the last few days. Nigerians, Ghanaians and other African nationals have complained of rising violence against them.

The attackers accuse the foreigners of taking over their jobs and increasing crimes in their neighborhoods.

On Friday, South African police used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to try and disperse anti-immigrant protesters in the capital, Pretoria. According to Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, no Ghanaian has been killed in the attacks in the rainbow nation so far.

However, speaking on the floor of Parliament Friday, Hon. Muntaka stated that Ghanaians must boycott all South African products and companies to send a signal to that country.

“I think the time has come for the African people to unite around this to at least, not to violently also attack their properties in our country, not to violently attack their citizens in our country but to boycott their products.

“If we begin to boycott every South African product they will begin to feel the heat home and that will let them know that we will not countenance it,” Hon. Muntaka said.