South Africa has strongly rejected a controversial US State Department report claiming farm attacks in the country follow a “brutal pattern” beyond ordinary crime. The report, published by the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, highlighted a disturbing rise in farm attacks, citing 296 incidents and 49 murders in 2023. However, Pretoria dismissed the findings as biased and lacking credibility, accusing the US of ignoring South African Police Service (SAPS) data. While advocacy group AfriForum welcomed the report as vindication, critics argue it unfairly centers white victims and could fuel racial tensions. As President Ramaphosa rejects accusations of white genocide, the debate reveals deepening divides in how South Africa’s crime crisis is perceived locally and internationally.
IOL
