Despite being suspended from all party activities, DA Member of Parliament Renaldo Gouws attended a private DA induction meeting, sparking internal outrage.
Gouws was suspended last month after 15-year-old racist and homophobic videos resurfaced, casting a shadow over his recent swearing-in at the National Assembly as part of the 7th administration.
The videos, which have circulated widely, show Gouws using deeply offensive language. In one video, Gouws is heard saying: “Alright so there’s a couple of things I want to say. Kill the f****g k*****s, kill all the f*****g n*****s. That’s all I gotta f*****g say. Kill all the k*****s! Kill all the f*****g n*****s!”
Read more on Daily Maverick: DA launches probe into racist language video following Renaldo Gouws suspension
Party members previously stated that the DA had enlisted experts to authenticate the video.
Yet, highly placed sources within the DA expressed shock at Gouws’s presence during a virtual Parliament induction meeting for DA MPs.
Several members decried the apparent double standards, suspecting that the party might have decided against firing Gouws despite the severity of his case, which is currently under investigation by the DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC).
DA spokesperson Richard Newton confirmed Gouws’s attendance at the induction session, stating: “Gouws participated in an induction session for new Members of Parliament to enable them to do their work efficiently and effectively in the National Assembly or National Council of Provinces. This is a provision of the state to be able to do its work.”
However, Newton emphasised that Gouws’s suspension from party activities remains in place.
“The DA can also confirm that the FLC process regarding complaints laid against Mr Gouws has begun and is ongoing,” said Newton.
The incident has sparked further controversy and criticism within the party, with some members questioning the DA’s commitment to addressing racism and holding members accountable for their actions.
Gouws is no stranger to controversy, he boasts a YouTube channel with thousands of followers, a platform he used to speak about racial matters that often do not go unchallenged.
He could not be reached for comment about attending the DA meeting.
Not the first video
The video for which Gouws was suspended is not the first that has recently resurfaced from his past. Earlier this week he apologised after a two-minute racist rant directed at Julius Malema’s “Kill the Boer” chant did the rounds on social media.
He released a statement in which he apologised unreservedly.
“I addressed this snippet in 2016 and again in 2020 when approached by the media when it was posted on social media. This was at the time when then-president Zuma and then Youth Leader Malema were singing songs about killing people based on their race.
“Before this and before these snippets were used publicly against me, I posted a lengthy Facebook post from 2013 in which I apologised for how I delivered my message in my videos (angry, hostile, confrontational and crass).
“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. For that, I apologise unreservedly,” he wrote in a statement.
Gouws’s incident is similar to that of a South African man, Adam Catzavelos who in 2018 recorded himself making racist comments about the lack of black people in his surroundings.
He had been at an overseas holiday spot saying: “Not one k****r in sight, f*****g heaven on earth… You cannot beat this!”
In 2019, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) slapped him with a R200,000 fine and an instruction to apologise. He was fired from his family’s business. DM
Daily Maverick’s journalism is funded by the contributions of our Maverick Insider members. If you appreciate our work, then join our membership community. Defending Democracy is an everyday effort. Be part of it. Become a Maverick Insider.