The South African government has issued a strong rebuke of a recent US State Department human rights report, calling it “inaccurate, a-contextual, and deeply flawed,” and warning that it risks further straining already tense relations between Pretoria and Washington.
The annual US report, released on Tuesday, criticizes South Africa for what it calls worsening human rights conditions, citing the newly signed Expropriation Bill, alleged extrajudicial killings, and perceived discrimination against Afrikaners.
But International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has pushed back forcefully, saying the report relies on discredited sources and misrepresents cases still under judicial review — including the controversial death of a farm worker, which the US framed as an extrajudicial killing.
“This report lacks context and objectivity,” Lamola said, accusing the US of selectively interpreting domestic policies through a politically loaded lens.
The report’s criticism of the Expropriation Bill — which allows for land seizure without compensation under certain conditions — triggered particular outrage in Pretoria. The US claimed the bill targets Afrikaner communities, while the UN Human Rights Office welcomed it as a progressive tool to correct apartheid-era land inequality.
Adding fuel to the fire are the recent 30% tariffs imposed by the US on South African exports, which Pretoria views as punitive and unfair, especially amid ongoing global trade tensions.
South Africa emphasized its robust constitutional protections, independent judiciary, and rights-based governance, while subtly pointing to America’s own human rights controversies — from racial inequality to police brutality — as evidence that no country is above scrutiny.
A detailed official rebuttal to the US report is expected from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) later this week. However, Lamola noted that while diplomatic dialogue remains open, South Africa “will not tolerate condescending assessments rooted in outdated geopolitical narratives.”
As both countries navigate shifting global alliances, the episode underscores growing discomfort among Global South nations over Western-driven narratives on governance and rights — and the need for a more balanced global conversation.
