❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. State Department reported a significant worsening of human rights in South Africa, highlighting extrajudicial killings and repression of the white minority.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. State Department, the South African government, Afrikaners, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The report was released Tuesday, referencing events in South Africa over the last several years.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This act could enable the government to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.” – U.S. State Department Report, referring to legislation authorizing land expropriation without compensation.
🎯IMPACT: The findings raise international scrutiny over South Africa’s government policies and the treatment of Afrikaner farmers.
The U.S. State Department’s annual human rights report has highlighted a significant deterioration in conditions within South Africa, particularly focusing on extrajudicial killings and the repression of racial minorities, including white Afrikaner farmers. The findings were released as part of the 2025 report on Tuesday.
The report cited instances where South African police were involved in shootings resulting in the deaths of suspects. For example, in April, at least 40 criminal suspects were killed in shootouts, and in September, six suspects wanted for homicide and extortion were shot by Durban police. Watchdog groups have pointed to deaths in custody often stemming from abuse, neglect, or lack of medical care.
Additionally, the report highlighted the ongoing violence against Afrikaner farmers, referencing data from Agence France-Presse that recorded 447 murders on farms and smallholdings between October 2023 and September 2024. It criticized the extremist political party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for inciting attacks on Afrikaner farmers, including the revival of the controversial song “Kill the Boer [Farmer]” at rallies.
The Expropriation Bill of 2024 was also criticized, as it allows the government to seize land without compensation. The report warned that such measures could disproportionately target Afrikaner farmers, exacerbating violence and dismantling opportunities in employment, education, and business for the ethnic minority.
President Donald J. Trump, who met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in May, has been outspoken on the issue, saying that white Afrikaner farmers are being targeted and forced off their land.
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