South Africa rebukes US human rights report as factually 'inaccurate and misleading'

SA-US RELATIONS

- MASHUDU SADIKE and SIMON MAJADIBODU

MINISTER of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has expressed deep disappointment with the recent US State Department report on human rights in South Africa, calling it “inaccurate and deeply flawed.”

The report alleges that South Africa is moving towards land expropriation targeting Afrikaners and is mistreating racial minorities, claims the South African government has strongly rejected.

Lamola expressed “profound disappointment” with the report.

“We find the report to be an inaccurate and deeply flawed account that fails to reflect the reality of our constitutional democracy,” said Chrispin Phiri, DIRCO spokesperson.

He added that 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,” said Phiri.

“This is not only premature but a fundamental distortion of the facts, as the individuals are formally arraigned before a court of law.”

He also criticised how the report handled issues involving police conduct.