The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation expressed disappointment with what it said was an “inaccurate and deeply flawed” account of human rights practices in a recent report on human rights in South Africa published by the US State Department.

In its yearly human rights report, the US State Department accused South Africa of a significantly worsened human rights situation. The report also included US President Donald Trump’s critiques of the country’s Land Expropriation Act, raised concerns about alleged extrajudicial killings and alleged repression of racial minorities.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said the report’s reliance on a-contextual information and discredited accounts was highly concerning, as it failed to accurately reflect the reality of the country’s constitutional democracy.

“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 Lamola.

He highlighted that this was not only premature but a fundamental distortion of the facts, as the individuals were formally arraigned before a court of law.

“…similarly, incidents of police using force are mentioned without acknowledging the robust processes in place, where institutions designed to protect our democracy are actively investigating whether due process was followed and if such force was warranted,” he said.

Lamola said South Africa remained open to addressing these “distortions” through the diplomatic channels, and said his department was compiling a set of documents “to provide a complete and accurate picture”, and which would be released for public perusal during the course of the week.

He said information was freely available from South Africa’s law enforcement agencies and Chapter 9 institutions, which were constitutionally mandated to protect and advance human rights.

He said it was ironic that the US produced a human rights report when it had exited the United Nation Human Rights Council.

“This is particularly striking given the significant and documented concerns about human rights within the United States, including the treatment of refugees and breaches in due process by its own agencies, such as ICE,” Lamola hit back.

He pointed to reports from the South African Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as articles from reputable news agencies that corrected distortions and showed South Africa’s commitment to human rights.

He pointed out that in stark contrast to the US report, South Africa noted the recent assessment from the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva, where the UN described South Africa’s Land Expropriation Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as a “critical step in addressing the country’s racially imbalanced land ownership”.

“…this recognition from the UN’s primary human rights body underscores the integrity of our legislative processes aimed at rectifying historical injustices in a constitutional and human-rights-based manner,” he stated.