Refuting the US State Department's misrepresentation of SA’s human rights

1 AM A human rights lawyer born in an era when the worst amongst a racist ruling minority ruined the humanity of the majority in South Africa.

- SABER AHMED JAZBHAY | Human Rights attorney Newlands West

The recent US State Department Human Rights Report on SA presents a deeply flawed and inaccurate account of the state of human rights in our country.

The majority of thinking and patriotic people of South Africa firmly reject its findings as an a-contextual and politically motivated document that fails to recognise the reality of our robust constitutional democracy.

I managed to access the report. Its selective use of information and reliance on unverified anecdotes is not only a disservice to the truth but also undermines the very principles of independent human rights reporting.

The US report fails to acknowledge the foundation of our democracy: the South African Constitution. This is a document universally recognised for its progressive and comprehensive protection of human rights.

Our commitment to these rights is not merely a matter of policy but a constitutional mandate.

When human rights violations are alleged—whether by state actors or private citizens—South Africa has transparent and independent mechanisms to address them.