South Africa 2024 Human Rights Report
Executive Summary
The human rights situation in South Africa significantly worsened during the year; with the signing of Expropriation Bill (B23-2020) on December 20, South Africa took a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners and further abuses against racial minorities in the country.
Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings; arbitrary arrest or detention; and the repression of racial minorities.
The government did not take credible steps to investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, including inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities, or violence against racial minorities.
Section 1. Life
a. Extrajudicial Killings
There were several reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
In July the provincial police commissioner confirmed that as of April, police shot and killed at least 40 criminal suspects in shoot-outs. On September 2, police reported six suspects wanted for homicide and extortion were shot and killed by Durban police in a shoot-out. According to Reuters, eight of the police officers involved were placed on administrative leave with full pay pending investigation.
Watchdog groups noted deaths in custody often resulted from physical abuse combined with a lack of subsequent medical treatment or neglect.
In January the South African Human...
The Swedish Foreign Ministry stated that Thunberg's claims of severe abuse by Israel were not raised during a diplomatic visit to her detention cell in Israel. The ministry has since announced an ...