South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has dismissed Washington’s latest Human Rights Report as “inaccurate, biased, and a distortion” of the country’s constitutional reality. The 21-page report, released this week, alleged worsening conditions in South Africa, including land expropriations targeting Afrikaners, abuses against minorities, and extrajudicial killings in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal. DIRCO rejected the claims, saying criminal suspects are tried in court and that the U.S. relied on “discredited sources.”
The department also accused Washington of hypocrisy for policing other countries’ records while resisting oversight by international mechanisms like the U.N. Human Rights Council. Officials pointed to America’s own ongoing struggles with systemic racism, gun violence, and movements such as Black Lives Matter, which highlight structural inequalities. “This is a double standard of major proportions,” said international relations analyst Zimkhita Nene. “South Africa’s constitution not only meets international norms but goes further by enshrining socioeconomic rights to redress apartheid’s legacy. Meanwhile, the U.S. still faces entrenched racial injustices.”
The dispute underscores worsening ties between Pretoria and Washington. Relations soured further after South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Strains also date back to Donald Trump’s presidency, when the U.S. slashed aid to South Africa and expelled its ambassador following policy clashes. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola recently warned that U.S. interference in South Africa’s domestic affairs had driven bilateral relations “to a low point.”
