The South African government is pushing back hard against a statement made by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who claimed that 10 people were killed in xenophobic violence in the country. Officials say the figure does not hold up under scrutiny.
An investigation by Daily Maverick found that the deaths cited appear to be a mixture of unrelated incidents. Some are linked to organised crime hits, while others involve disputed death tolls in Mossel Bay. The picture that emerges is far more complicated than a single wave of anti-immigrant violence.
The pushback comes as international attention sharpens on South Africa's ongoing anti-immigration protests. Global condemnation has been growing, which makes the accuracy of figures like Tedros's claim all the more consequential for how the country is perceived abroad.
For South Africans watching this story unfold, the dispute raises a real question: when the numbers get tangled up in politics and incomplete reporting, who is actually accountable for getting the facts right?
Originally published by AllAfrica.