Relations between Ghana and South Africa date back to the apartheid era when the Nkrumah administration provided a safe haven for many freedom fighters and youth from that country to pursue further education in Ghana.
Many of such young South Africans lived in the then International Students Hostel at the Airport Residential Area in Accra.
The hospitality extended to the South Africans was in accord with President Nkrumah’s philosophy of linking the independence of Ghana to the liberation of the countries under colonial subjugation on the continent.
The political history of South Africa has been very chequered, especially the period when the blacks were denied freedom in their motherland.
During those trying times, the blacks faced discrimination in all spheres of human endeavour and many of them lost their lives.
The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (now the African Union (AU)) did everything to get South Africa and other colonies liberated.
At that time the debate centred on dialogue and sanctions. The moderates were believed to be those who pushed for dialogue with the apartheid regime, while the radicals called for sanctions against the regime.
The freedom fighters and their collaborators did not give up the military option and at the same time dialogue and sanctions were applied to get the apartheid regime to back down on its obnoxious policies.
The apartheid regime had no option but to allow majority rule in 1994, with Mr Nelson Mandela as the first President of the Rainbow Nation.
Today, South Africa has become one of the most powerful nations on the continent, leading the crusade to increase Africa’s competitiveness on the global stage.
When South Africa hosted the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 1996, football fans rallied behind the host nation to successfully organise the event and they achieved their aim of “Host and win”.
Then came 2010 and once again South Africa proved to the whole world that it had come of age by hosting one of the best-organised World Cup tournaments in modern history.
Indeed, all post-apartheid leaders of South Africa have visited Ghana. The first was Mr Mandela, followed by Mr Thabo Mbeki, and currently on a three-day state visit is Mr Jacob Zuma.
The leaders of the two countries yesterday agreed to co-operate in the areas of transport and energy generation, as well as to promote trade between them.
Presidents Mahama and Zuma were upbeat about the importance of the agreements, as they would help deepen the existing cordial relations between Ghana and South Africa.
African countries undertake very little trading activities among themselves and unless that situation changes, there is very little by way of South-South co-operation that Ghana and South Africa can benefit from.
The Daily Graphic welcomes President Zuma to Ghana and urges the two leaders to promote economic activities that will be mutually beneficial to the peoples of the two countries.
