When the U.S. government published its 21-page “South Africa 2024 Human Rights Report” on Wednesday, it painted a picture of a nation backsliding on key freedoms. Yet, Pretoria's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) swiftly fired back, labelling the findings “deeply flawed” and out of touch with South Africa’s constitutional democracy.
At the heart of the dispute is an incident involving farmworker deaths, which the U.S. report frames as an extrajudicial killing. DIRCO argues this portrayal is misleading because the matter is currently before South Africa’s independent courts. “Relying on discredited accounts undermines trust,” a department spokesperson told local media, highlighting the country’s commitment to due process.
The report also flags alleged abuses in KwaZulu-Natal, describing police shoot-outs with criminal suspects as extrajudicial killings. DIRCO counters that every use-of-force incident undergoes rigorous review by internal watchdogs and judicial bodies to ensure accountability and transparency.
Land reform—a sensitive and historic challenge in South Africa—features heavily in the U.S. analysis. The report criticises expropriation policies affecting Afrikaner-owned farms and warns of risks to minority rights. However, DIRCO points to a UN Human Rights Office statement calling the Expropriation Act “a critical step in addressing the country’s racially imbalanced land ownership.”
For young global citizens and changemakers, the clash highlights broader questions: How should human rights be measured across borders, and who gets to tell the story? As South Africa and the U.S. spar over facts and figures, observers will be watching closely to see how both sides build credibility through data, judicial outcomes, and civil society engagement.
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South Africa slams U.S. human rights report as 'deeply flawed'
cgtn.com
