South African government slated for response to Iran human rights abuses

Opposition is mounting against the South African government for its alleged failure to be consistent in its activism for human rights on the global stage.

Iranian-born entrepreneur and former UCT Economics Professor, Iraj Abedian, slated the South African government for its historic silence about human rights abuses in Iran.

Abedian is a prominent South African economist and policy advisor who has played a significant role in shaping the country’s post-1994 economic landscape.

He is the founder and Chairman of Pan-African Capital Holdings and Pan-African Investment and Research Services.

Before moving into the private sector in 2000, he was a Professor of Economics at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

He also serves as an extraordinary professor at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and is one of the most widely quoted economists in South Africa.

Abedian told Biznews that South Africa’s silence on the situation in Iran is unacceptable and does not align with the country’s constitution.

He referred to Iran being plunged into a violent crisis characterised by what human rights organisations call unprecedented levels of state-sanctioned violence.

The current unrest began on December 28, 2025, triggered by a sudden collapse of the national currency and record-high inflation.

However, the situation escalated into a nationwide “proto-revolution” calling for the end of theocratic rule, prompting the regime to shut off the internet.

The death toll from the violent crackdown by the Iranian government, led by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is reportedly nearing 3000.

Abedian highlighted that the United Nations has repeatedly found this Iranian regime guilty of crimes against humanity. However, the South African government said nothing.

He also questioned why South Africa has close ties with the Iranian regime, as it could not serve the country’s interests.

“History will describe and categorise the Iranian regime as the Nazi’s of the 21^st century,” Abedian said. “This is not about geopolitics anymore… it is about whether we stand against mass murder.”

“Why would South Africa want to be associated with the brutal Iranian regime?” he asked.

Similarly, the Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-largest party and partner in the Government of National Unity, has been equally critical.

DA Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation, Ryan Smith, has written to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), urging them to take Iran to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Smith said South Africa must “protect any and all global citizens against autocratic regimes” and that the UNHRC is “the ideal international forum” for this.

He criticised the ANC’s “very public and unapologetic proximity to Iran,” calling it “wholly incompatible with the values for which our republic stands.”

He drew parallels between Iran’s uprisings and South Africa’s own struggles, noting Sharpeville and Soweto, when “peaceful civilian protest was met with brutal state violence.”

Smith said South Africa now faces a moral test: whether to “stand with the people of Iran, or with those who repress them.”

He concluded that the party “will not tolerate South Africa turning a blind eye to brutal authoritarian regimes” or remaining silent after “violent assault on innocent civilians.”

South African government response

In a brief statement on 15 January, the South African Presidency said that the government is following the developments in Iran “with concern.”

“The reports of unrest and the subsequent loss of life are concerning, and South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” said the Presidency.

“South Africa firmly believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal human rights that must be upheld without exception.”

“We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace,” it added.

The statement concluded that sustainable peace and stability can only be achieved through solutions that center the agency of the Iranian people.