South Africa has strongly rebuffed a U.S. State Department report alleging the government is enabling land seizures targeting white farmers, dismissing the claims as “inaccurate” and “deeply flawed.” The annual human rights assessment, released this week, accused Pretoria of taking “substantially worrying steps” toward expropriating land from Afrikaners and escalating abuses against racial minorities—a stark departure from its 2023 findings, which noted no major shifts in the country’s rights record.
The South African foreign ministry condemned the report on Wednesday, asserting it “fails to reflect the reality of our constitutional democracy” and criticized Washington for issuing “one-sided, fact-free” analyses after withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council. The rebuttal comes amid escalating tensions between the two nations, including recent U.S. tariffs of up to 30% on South African exports—the highest levied against any sub-Saharan country. Pretoria has emphasized the importance of maintaining access to U.S. markets for key industries like agriculture and automotive manufacturing, which employ tens of thousands.
Land reform remains a contentious issue in South Africa, where white farmers still control most agricultural land decades after apartheid. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s February 2024 legislation permitting limited land expropriation without compensation aims to address historical inequities but has drawn international criticism. U.S. President Donald Trump has amplified far-right claims of “violence against racially disfavored landowners” and signed an executive order to resettle Afrikaner farmers as refugees—a move Pretoria called “alarmist.”
The State Department report itself faces accusations of political bias. Former officials and rights groups allege revisions under Trump appointees softened critiques of allies like Israel and El Salvador while omitting references to LGBTQI+ abuses. The document excluded mention of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, despite over 61,000 reported deaths since October 2023, while intensifying criticism of nations like Brazil and South Africa. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce defended the edits as streamlining “politically biased” content, though she declined to address omissions related to El Salvador.
Despite the diplomatic friction, South Africa maintains its land reforms adhere to constitutional safeguards and promote racial equity. Officials stress efforts to balance pushback against U.S. claims with preserving trade ties, noting the nation’s expanding economic partnerships with China and the EU provide leverage. As Pretoria navigates these challenges, the dispute underscores broader debates over human rights reporting’s credibility and the geopolitical tensions shaping international discourse.
