Ghana’s Parliament has passed the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill, after months of intense national debate and international scrutiny.

The legislation, sponsored by a group of bipartisan lawmakers, seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities, advocacy and the promotion of what it describes as non-conventional sexual relations and family values.

However, even as the bill cleared its second reading on Thursday, a heated fight has erupted between co-sponsors and other lawmakers over proposed clauses that would exempt journalists, media houses, and certain professionals from the bill’s sanctions.

The disputed clauses would allow journalists and media houses to report on LGBTQ-related news or current affairs in the normal course of their work, as well as permit medical, surgical, psychological, or counselling professionals to offer services to LGBTQ individuals without penalty.

The Member of Parliament for Assin South and co-sponsor of the bill, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, together with the MP for Bosome-Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, are leading the fight against these exemptions. They argue that the proposed changes are “totally unacceptable” and would be used as a pretext to promote LGBTQ activities. The dispute has created an unusual split, with Minority side MPs joining Fordjour in opposing clauses that some had assumed would be widely supported.

Deep divisions mark legislative milestone

The bill’s passage represents one of the most divisive legislative moments in Ghana’s recent democratic history, drawing strong support from conservative and religious groups while facing sharp criticism from human rights organisations and sections of the international community. Among other provisions, the bill proposes penalties for individuals who engage in same-sex relations, as well as sanctions against persons or organisations accused of promoting, funding or advocating LGBTQ+ activities.

Supporters of the legislation argue that it is necessary to preserve Ghanaian cultural, religious and family values. Several religious bodies and traditional leaders have publicly backed the bill during parliamentary deliberations, insisting that the legislation reflects the moral beliefs of the majority of Ghanaians. Critics, however, warn that the law could undermine constitutional rights, including freedom of expression, association and protection from discrimination.

Long and contentious journey to passage

The bill, formally titled the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, was originally introduced in June 2021 by a bipartisan group of Members of Parliament led by Ningo-Prampram MP Sam George. It underwent its first reading in August 2021 and was subsequently referred to Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee for scrutiny.

Between 2021 and 2022, the committee held extensive public hearings involving religious bodies, traditional authorities, legal experts, civil society organisations and human rights groups. Those hearings sparked widespread public debate, with supporters arguing the bill was necessary to protect Ghanaian cultural and family values, while opponents described it as unconstitutional and discriminatory.

As the bill now moves toward final passage, the unresolved dispute over exemptions for journalists, lawyers, and medical professionals threatens to delay its progress. The outcome of that fight will determine not only the scope of the law but also whether Ghana’s media and healthcare workers can continue to serve all citizens without fear of prosecution.

The leader of the March and March Movement in South Africa, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, who has been at the forefront of actions described as xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians and other African nationals, has broken down in a viral video claiming that the South African Human Rights Commission is unlawfully dragging her to court.

In the video shared on May 28, 2026, Ngobese-Zuma disclosed that the Commission has filed a lawsuit against her personally, against her movement, and against her lawyer.

She insisted that the legal action is illegitimate and that the Commission should instead be protecting her and her members from what she terms “illegal immigrants.”

“The Human Rights Commission has taken me to court in my personal capacity, taken our lawyer to court, and some of our members as well. They have cited us as respondents because they claim the police need to arrest us for stopping illegal immigrants in hospitals who are here for all kinds of reasons besides emergency healthcare,” she said.

Ngobese-Zuma accused the Commission of abandoning its mandate:

“The South African Human Rights Commission, which is supposed to protect our right to life and ensure that the law is upheld, is the very same commission now seeking to aid and abet illegal immigrants in the country instead of making provisions for them to be deported and returned to their countries of origin,” she added.

According to her, South Africa has become dangerously relaxed about illegal immigration, and state resources are being stretched to cater for people who are not South African citizens.

“The country can no longer take care of all these illegal immigrants. None of our resources is capable of, or even budgeted for, accommodating so many people who are not South African citizens,” she argued.

The activist then issued an emotional call to action, urging fellow South Africans to pack the Durban High Court on her appearance date.

“So, we are calling on all South Africans who are available on Tuesday to please join us at the Durban High Court. That is where we will be appearing, and we want to make our voices heard. Therefore, we call on all of you who are available on the day to please join us,” she pleaded.

The development comes as the Ghanaian government has begun an evacuation exercise for its nationals living in South Africa, following a series of xenophobic attacks against African immigrants.

The contrast between Ghana’s evacuation of its citizens and Ngobese-Zuma’s legal persecution narrative highlights the deepening regional tensions over immigration policy and human rights enforcement in Southern Africa.

The Director of Diaspora Affairs to the President of Ghana, Kofi Okyere-Darko, has issued a firm reassurance that South Africans living and doing business in Ghana will face no retaliatory action, despite weeks of heightened regional tensions sparked by immigration crackdowns in South Africa.

Speaking in Accra, Okyere-Darko explicitly ruled out any state-sponsored or popular demonstrations aimed at sending South Africans back to their country, following Ghana’s recent facilitation of the return of approximately 300 Ghanaian citizens from South Africa.

Those returnees, who arrived on May 28, 2026, shared emotional accounts of feeling unsafe amid mounting pressure from advocacy groups such as the March and March movement, which had set a June 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.

Despite the fraught backdrop, Ghana’s presidential aide struck a conciliatory tone: “Nothing is going to happen to South Africans living in Ghana; their businesses will run as [they] should. There won’t be any demonstrations in Ghana aimed at sending South Africans back to their country.”

Okyere-Darko reinforced Ghana’s longstanding commitment to Pan-Africanism and the “Borderless Africa” vision, positioning Ghana as a continental leader in free movement and integration.

“Ghana has always been the pathway and safest way to Africa, and we mean every bit of that. South Africans who live in Ghana and abide by the laws of this country, this is their home as well,” he said.

To underscore the government’s openness, he highlighted ongoing policy reforms, including the rollout of an e-visa system designed to ease entry for visitors, including South Africans.

“Demonstrations against Africans are not what we represent,” he added, reiterating that Ghana will not mirror the xenophobic tensions witnessed elsewhere on the continent.

The assurance aims to protect bilateral trade and investment, with major South African brands such as MTN, Shoprite, and Multichoice maintaining significant operations in Ghana.