Minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. (Jairus Mmutle/GCIS)
Trade union Solidarity has issued a letter of demand to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, accusing her of defamation, intimidation and unconstitutional conduct in a series of public statements that it says were “false, harmful and insulting” and intended to damage its public standing.
The letter outlines a set of grievances against Ntshavheni arising from statements she made during a media briefing on 27 March, and public statements she made on 13 May. Solidarity has given the minister seven days to retract her claims and issue an apology, or it will pursue legal action.
Ntshavheni has accused Solidarity and civil rights group AfriForum of conducting a continued misinformation campaign involving farm murders and the persecution of minorities, and of peddling the same when the organisations were in the United States.
Solidarity’s demand follows the departure of 49 Afrikaners to the US last week, after they were granted asylum.
Their relocation was made in line with a policy under President Donald Trump’s administration, which allows Afrikaners and other racial minorities from South Africa to apply for refugee status if they can demonstrate “either a history of persecution or a credible fear of future persecution”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to meet Trump in Washington on Wednesday as part of a working visit to the US.
Among the topics likely to be discussed is the narrative surrounding Afrikaner farmers — a subject Trump addressed in his first administration and his latest, claiming that they are victims of racial targeting and genocide.
Solidarity’s letter describes Ntshaveni’s communiqué as defamatory, stating it implied that Solidarity had deliberately and maliciously spread falsehoods.
On 13 May, Ntshaveni referred to Solidarity’s actions as “treasonous”, accusing the group of inciting foreign interference and undermining national sovereignty. She has confirmed in parliament that Solidarity and AfriForum are under investigation for treason, and has suggested regulating civil society groups.
Solidarity said in its letter: “The tenor, placement, and language leave little doubt that the intention was to impute to our client conduct that is duplicitous and deliberately misleading.”
The trade union, which represents more than 200 000 professionals, said it has never endorsed or used the term “white genocide”, nor misrepresented crime statistics about farm murders.
Farm killings are an emotive topic in the country. In March, the constitutional court refused AfriForum leave to appeal against a supreme court ruling that the song “kill the boer” does not constitute hate speech. Various politicians have also chosen not to condemn it.
The song is often sung by Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema at his political rallies. Malema is also known for making inflammatory remarks about white and Indian South Africans.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has repeatedly said that according to crime statistics, from October to December 2024, only one farm killing was recorded.
AfriForum, which has its own neighbourhood watch structures and has been recording farm murders for years – has disputed this, saying there were eight farm murders in those three months. The information has been submitted to Mchunu, after he challenged the organisation to do so.
Solidarity said in its letter to Ntshavheni that it has consistently based its advocacy on publicly available data, handled with “due care” and “circumspection”.
The letter further claims that the government’s treatment of Solidarity illustrates a growing trend of hostility toward civil society organisations that critique state actions. It says such conduct contravenes a broad array of legal protections, both domestic and international.
Citing multiple constitutional rights — including freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly — as well as international agreements such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and several International Labour Organisation conventions, Solidarity insists that its rights have been violated.
“The continued reference to Solidarity’s advocacy, statistics, and international engagements as if they were tantamount to incitement, betrayal, or disinformation, is nothing less than an abuse of your public office,” the letter states.
The union’s attorneys have set a deadline of 21 May for the minister to comply with their demand, warning that failure to do so will result in legal action.
Ntshaveni’s office said it would not respond to questions from the Mail & Guardian.