AfriForum Statement at 16th Session of United Nations Forum on Minority Issues Good afternoon, I am Ernst van Zyl, here to represent the South African civil rights organization AfriForum. Does having over 120 pieces of racial legislation qualify a government as one of the most racist in the world? By any reasonable standard, it should. Of all the pieces of racial legislation passed by the South African parliament since 1910, 37% were passed by the ANC government since 1994. In a 2022 memo, the CEO of South Africa’s second-largest retail pharmacy chain announced a moratorium on the appointment and promotion of members of the white minority, under threat of severe government fines. We’ve seen a case of a non-profit organisation that fights sexual and gender-based violence being barred from receiving state funding due to not meeting the government’s racialist criteria. The South African government is even planning to exclude farmers from tariff-free exports to the EU and UK if their farms are considered too white. South Africa is also becoming an increasingly hostile environment for minorities. In 2023 Julius Malema, leader of the the 3rd largest party, the EFF, and a stadium of 90,000 supporters chanted “Kill the Boer. Kill the Farmer” – with Boer referring to both farmers and an ethnic minority. In the wake of this incitement, attacks on farmers surged, many including gruesome murders and torture. There was even an attack where the attackers screamed “Kill the Boer. Kill the Farmer” while they stabbed a female victim with a spear. Despite these alarming escalations of antiminority hatred, discrimination and attacks in South Africa, culprits like Julius Malema and the ANC have been sparred international scrutiny and condemnation. The UN and global role-players’ current strategy of prioritising diplomacy with oppressive governments rather than standing up against them is letting minorities down. The South African government in particular should be called out for its racialist policies and failure to protect minorities against incitement of violence by politicians who sit in parliament. Thank you.