Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah calls on world leaders to impose “total economic and political sanctions” on South Africa

Updated: 19 Mar 2020

Pan-Africanist and first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, was a leader who strived for a united Africa. Nkrumah was one of the founders of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and its first president. On 22 March 1961, Nkrumah called on world leaders to impose sanctions on South Africa because of its Apartheid policies. African harbours were closed to the South African government, and South African aircrafts were prohibited from flying over the rest of the continent. In addition, the OAU managed to convince the United Nations (UN) to expel South Africa from bodies like the World Health Organisation (WHO).

How we know this

01SAHO, Organisation of African Unity (OAU), from South African History Online, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 06 March 2014]
02Ojokwu, H., Kwame Nkrumah: A true champion of African unity from Uhuru Spirit, from Uhuru Spirit, [online], Available at https://uhuruspirit.org [Accessed: 06 March 2014]

Last updated · 19 Mar 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2014, March 20). Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah calls on world leaders to impose “total economic and political sanctions” on South Africa. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097229

South African History Online (2014) 'Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah calls on world leaders to impose “total economic and political sanctions” on South Africa', South African History Online, 20 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097229 (Accessed: 13 October 2026).

South African History Online, Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah calls on world leaders to impose “total economic and political sanctions” on South Africa [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097229, (accessed 13 October 2026).

"Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah calls on world leaders to impose “total economic and political sanctions” on South Africa." South African History Online, 20 Mar. 2014, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097229. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

South African History Online. "Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah calls on world leaders to impose “total economic and political sanctions” on South Africa." South African History Online. March 20, 2014. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097229.