The Executive Summary to the US Report on South Africa states that the human rights situation in South Africa 'significantly worsened'.
The South African Government has rejected an ” inaccurate and deeply flawed account” of human rights practices in the country.
This follows a damning report published by the US State Department, which accuses Pretoria of several human rights abuses.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), the report “distorted” facts from three articles, an AFP story about “False data distorts complex picture of South Africa”, “Tears and outrage in South Africa as accused in pig farm murder walks free”, and “Presidential Response on July unrests.”
US executive summary
The Executive Summary to the US Report on South Africa states that the human rights situation in South Africa “significantly worsened during the year”, with the signing of the Expropriation Bill on 20 December.
“South Africa took a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners and further abuses against racial minorities in the country,” it read.
“Significant human rights issues included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest or detention and the repression of racial minorities.”
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The report also claimed that the government did not take credible steps to investigate, “prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses”, including inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities, or violence against racial minorities.
‘Disappointment’
Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said there is a “profound disappointment” with the recent report on human rights in South Africa published by the US State department.
“We find the report to be an inaccurate and deeply flawed account that fails to reflect the reality of our constitutional democracy.
“The report’s reliance on a-contextual information and discredited accounts is highly concerning. It cites an incident involving the deaths of farm workers and, despite the matter being actively adjudicated by our independent judiciary, misleadingly presents it as an extrajudicial killing,” Phiri said.
‘Distortion’
Phiri added that this is not only premature but a “fundamental distortion of the facts”, as the individuals are formally arraigned before a court of law.
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“Similarly, incidents of police using force are mentioned without acknowledging the robust processes in place, where institutions designed to protect our democracy are actively investigating whether due process was followed and if such force was warranted.”
Transparency
Phiri stressed that South Africa operates a transparent system where information is freely available from law enforcement agencies and Chapter 9 institutions, which are constitutionally mandated to protect and advance human rights.
“It is ironic that a report from a nation that has exited the UN Human Rights Council and therefore no longer sees itself accountable in a multilateral peer review system would seek to produce one-sided, fact-free reports without any due process or engagement,” Phiri said.
“This is particularly striking given the significant and documented concerns about human rights within the United States, including the treatment of refugees and breaches in due process by its own agencies, such as ICE.
“In stark contrast to the US report, we note the recent assessment from the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva. The UN has described South Africa’s Land Expropriation Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as a critical step in addressing the country’s racially imbalanced land ownership,” he said.
Documents
Phiri added that the recognition from the UN’s primary human rights body underscores the integrity of the legislative processes aimed at rectifying “historical injustices in a constitutional and human-rights-based manner.”
“To provide a complete and accurate picture, we are compiling a set of documents, which we will release for public perusal during the course of the week.
“A cursory reading of reports from the South African Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as articles from reputable news agencies like the AFP, serves to correct the distortions and set the record straight on South Africa’s unwavering commitment to human rights,” Phiri said.
Phiri said Pretoria remains “open to addressing these distortions through the diplomatic channels.”
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