The Executive Chairman of the African Tourism Board (ATB), Hon. Cuthbert Ncube, has described the recent xenophobic attacks against other African nationals in South Africa as a political failure and condemned the violence, urging African leaders to uphold the ideals of Pan-Africanism and continental unity.
Speaking at the historic Pikworo Slave Camp at Nania-Paga in the Kassena-Nankana West District during the 2026 Emancipation Day celebration and Durbar of Chiefs, Hon. Ncube said it was unacceptable for a country that benefited from the solidarity of African nations during its liberation struggle to turn against fellow Africans.
“As the Executive Chairman of the African Tourism Board, and as a son of South Africa, I must address you today with a heart that carries deep political urgency,” he said. “It is an absolute political failure and a moral tragedy when a nation liberated by the collective solidarity of the African continent turns its back on its own liberators.”
Hon. Ncube condemned the anti-immigrant protests and xenophobic rhetoric in South Africa, describing them as a threat to Africa’s unity, economic development and tourism.
“We have watched with outrage as targeted intimidation forces our African brothers and sisters to flee in terror. The African Tourism Board unequivocally condemns this violence,” he stressed.
According to him, xenophobic attacks undermine the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and discourage intra-African tourism, investment and trade.
“These anti-immigrant actions are an act of economic self-sabotage that directly paralyzes our tourism sectors and deters the vital intra-African capital needed for our self-reliance. Xenophobia is a direct assault on the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and we will not remain silent while political cowardice turns brother against brother,” he added.
Addressing chiefs and traditional rulers gathered at the event, Hon. Ncube called on them to play a more active role in promoting peace, unity and cultural values across the continent.
“Our traditional leaders cannot afford to be passive spectators in a time of cultural and political crisis. Reprimand us where our political leadership falters. Condemn us when we compromise the dignity of our people,” he urged.
The African Tourism Board Chairman also commended African governments for advancing visa-free travel across the continent, describing it as a major milestone towards regional integration.
“We are witnessing the historic adaptation and implementation of visa-free travel for Africans—a monumental political victory that is finally tearing down the artificial colonial borders designed to keep us divided,” he said.
Hon. Ncube noted that tourism should be viewed not only as an economic activity but also as a tool for strengthening peace, cultural exchange and continental integration.
He encouraged African youth to embrace unity and resist forces that seek to divide the continent, urging them to become builders of a borderless Africa.
“As we close this Durbar and honour the legacy of emancipation, let us leave here with a militant commitment to intra-African partnership. Let the Pikworo Slave Camp stand no longer as a monument of what was taken from us, but as the birthplace of an uncompromising African future,” he stated.
The 2026 Emancipation Day celebration, held under the theme “Reconnecting Roots, Celebrating Freedom, Experience Ghana,” brought together traditional leaders, government officials, tourism stakeholders and members of the African diaspora to commemorate the resilience of Africans and promote cultural heritage, unity and development across the continent.
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