South Africa has fired back at the United States after Washington released a human-rights report that Pretoria says is “inaccurate and deeply flawed.” The US State Department had claimed that human rights in South Africa worsened in 2024 — particularly pointing to land reform’s supposed impact on white Afrikaners. But South Africa isn’t having it, calling the claims baseless and politically motivated.
In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Ministry said Washington relied on “discredited sources” and ignored South Africa’s constitutional safeguards. “This is not a reflection of our democracy,” the ministry stressed, insisting the report misrepresents government policy and overlooks the role of judicial oversight.
Pretoria also pointed out that the United Nations has praised its Land Expropriation Act as a fair and lawful way to correct historic injustices in land ownership. And in a pointed jab, South African officials accused the US of hypocrisy — citing America’s own record on refugee treatment, due-process violations, and even its withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council.
This latest spat adds fuel to already tense relations between the two countries since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. In May, Trump falsely claimed South Africa was illegally seizing white-owned farms, prompting the US to fast-track refugee visas for Afrikaners. Washington has also slapped 30% tariffs on South African exports, cut development aid, and openly criticised Pretoria’s stance on the Israel–Gaza conflict. Relations worsened when South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was expelled, and Trump hinted at skipping the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, Afrikaans trade union Solidarieit is preparing to send a delegation to Washington in September to discuss racial-redress laws, trade, and how to mend frayed diplomatic ties. Whether these talks will cool tempers or make matters worse is anyone’s guess — but with money, politics, and national pride on the line, the world will be watching closely.
