Renaldo Gouws, a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in South Africa, has been suspended by the party following the resurfacing of old video clips where he made “inflammatory racist comments” against the black people.
The decision came after a video footage dating back to several years began circulating on social media, showing Gouws using offensive language and expressing violent sentiments towards black people.
Although earlier, Gouws dismissed one of the videos as possibly doctored and denied its authenticity. However, a statement issued by the DA on Thursday said it was “genuine and not a fake”.
In the video Mr Gouws, who was sworn into parliament last week, uses a local slur typically reserved for Black Africans repeatedly along with the n-word, and calls for black people to be killed.
The DA has said Mr Gouws will face “disciplinary charges”.
Earlier this week, another old video clip re-emerged, in which Mr Gouws makes racially charged remarks.
Mr Gouws, in the video he implied that white people were subject to reverse apartheid.
He said: “If Africa had to disappear off the face of the earth, no one would [expletive] notice”.
Meanwhile, more than 40,000 people have signed an online petition calling for his removal as an MP.
After the first clip came out on Monday, the 41-year-old claimed he wasn’t racist and apologised on X, saying he had spoken in a “crass” and “hostile” way.
“I refute any claims of racism or being a racist. I can however see how my message was distorted in the way it was delivered by me and I take full responsibility for the actions of my younger and immature self,” he said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen previously defended Mr Gouws, but it is unclear if he has seen the latest video where Mr Gouws calls for black people to be killed.
Senior DA official and former party leader Helen Zille on Wednesday told local media: “Such language is unjustifiable and unacceptable. I don’t see how such offensive language can be justified.”
However, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it would take legal action against Mr Gouws “for the alleged racial utterances relating to online media posts”.
In a statement shared on X, the SAHRC concluded that the comments made by the suspended MP “constitute hate speech and/or harassment”.
“Given Mr Gouw’s position as a Member of Parliament, his alleged actions carry even greater weight and responsibility.”
Mr. Gouws, a former council member representing Ward 2 in Nelson Mandela Bay, is a prominent social media personality recognized for generating controversy.
Credit: SaharaReporters
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