King Mswati III has snubbed Ghana’s High Commissioner to Swaziland by refusing to allow him to present his credentials – for nearly three years.
That means High Commissioner Lee Ockran, who is based in South Africa, has been unable to visit Swaziland to represent his people.
On top of this, Lawrence Azumah, head of Ghana’s consular services to Swaziland, who stands in for Ockran, says he was stopped at the Swazi border when he went to the kingdom recently to meet Ghanaians. He said the border control officers subjected him to identification checks, even though he carried a diplomatic passport.
The saga of Swaziland’s snub to Ghana was revealed after High Commissioner Ockran was unable to visit the kingdom for a pre-arranged meeting with Ghanaians in Swaziland.
GhanaWeb reported Ockran could not make it to the meeting as a result of refusal by the Swazi authorities to grant him audience with the King. Because of this he had to delegate to the head of consular services Lawrence Azumah.
The website reported that Azumah told the meeting that before his arrival he had to undergo ‘various security checks at the Swazi border post even though he had a diplomatic passport but the immigration officials subjected him to various identification checks before he was allowed entry’.
The meeting was told this harassment was to make sure that the High Commissioner did not enter Swaziland.
GhanaWeb reported, ‘Azumah made known to the Ghanaian community that ever since his excellency, the high commissioner Hon Lee Ockran was appointed by the president Attak Mills in 2009, the royal kingdom of Swaziland are still yet to accept his audience in the kingdom making it impossible for him to travel to Swaziland.’
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