South Africa Hits Back At US Human Rights Report On Farm Killings

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has dismissed the 2024 US Human Rights Report on South Africa, saying it misrepresents the country’s rural safety situation and paints a distorted picture of farm violence.

The report, released earlier this month, claimed there were 447 murders on farms and smallholdings between October 2023 and September 2024.

It also cited a chilling case in Limpopo where two Black women were allegedly shot and killed on a farm before their remains were reportedly fed to pigs.

The report further linked farm killings to racially charged rhetoric, pointing to the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) revival of the chant “Kill the Boer [Farmer]” at political rallies.

It also suggested that the signing of the Expropriation Act in December 2024 could heighten violence and dispossession against Afrikaner farmers.

But in a statement issued on Wednesday, 20 August, Chrispin Phiri, Spokesperson for the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said the report presented “an inaccurate and distorted account of the facts” and failed to capture the realities on the ground.  The statement reads:

“Our nation’s foreign policy is guided by a commitment to a rules-based international system based on international law and a respect for human rights, as enshrined in our Constitution.

“It is within this framework that we address all forms of crime, which remain a significant challenge for all of our citizens, regardless of race or location.

“The suggestion that these crimes represent a concerted practice of racially motivated attacks, as insinuated by the US report, is not borne out by the facts.”

Citing official police statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year (January–March 2025), DIRCO noted that only six murder cases were reported in farming communities.

The breakdown showed that three of the victims were employees, one was a farm dweller, and two were farmers. The Department said:

“These figures underscore that violent crime in rural areas affects everyone who lives and works on farms and related rural areas.

“While the loss of any life is a tragedy, these statistics do not reveal a pattern of action driven by inflammatory racial rhetoric against a specific community.”

DIRCO stressed that the government is pursuing a comprehensive rural safety strategy, now fully rolled out at 893 of 900 rural police stations, to curb crime in farming communities.

This includes partnerships with traditional leaders, farming associations, labour unions, interest groups such as AfriForum, and initiatives like the Eyes and Ears (E2) programme, which works with the private security sector to improve police responsiveness. DIRCO added:

“South Africa remains committed to a transparent and collaborative approach to addressing crime. We stand ready to engage with any nation on matters of mutual interest through established diplomatic channels, and we will continue to provide accurate, data-driven information to counter any misrepresentations of our domestic situation. There is a focus on the safety and security of all South Africans.”