Gouws to face DC as SAHRC turns up the heat

Political analyst, Vusi Gumbi, says it is commendable that the Democratic Alliance (DA) decided to take action against its MP, Renaldo Gouws, for his actions.

Gouws is in the eye of a media storm after videos of him making racial slurs resurfaced on social media. Not long after the initial video, social media users found another one in which he repeatedly says: “Kill all the k****rs.” He is also repeatedly using the N…. word.

Gouws had immediately responded and said the video was a deepfake and blamed it on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

After initially standing by him, the DA finally succumbed to public pressure to deal with the matter and suspended the 41-year-old MP with immediate effect, pending a disciplinary hearing.

“The DA has established that the video, in which Renaldo Gouws uses execrable language, is in fact genuine and not a fake as initially suspected. The DA Federal Executive has therefore suspended Mr Gouws with immediate effect while he faces disciplinary charges before the party’s federal legal commission,” the party said in a statement.

DA spokesperson, Richard Newton, says the party’s vetting process failed to pick up the videos.

Speaking to YNews, Gumbi says it’s a breath of fresh air seeing the DA decisively tackle the Gouws debacle as it previously shied away from dealing with racial issues.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) meanwhile plans on taking Gouws to the Equality Court in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

SAHRC Spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi, says the suspended MP’s remarks constitute hate speech and/or harassment.

 

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) also weighed in on the issue, calling on the DA to expel Gouws.

Ynews managed to find some of Gouw’s old Facebook posts, which also have ‘racist’ connotations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Africans like the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi weighed in on the issue.

I’m not even shocked that DA doesn’t think what Gouws said is racist. They just think it’s bad language 😂. A person calls Africans kaffirs and niggers, even calls for a genocide. For DA, this is just bad language!

These are people who say they will protect South Africa’s…

— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) June 20, 2024

Gouws has been trending on social media platform, X, with many calling for him to be fired and not just suspended.

Can the South African Human Rights Commission act against Renaldo Gouws, like they did against Penny Sparrow and Adam Cuntsavelos? In case the DA protects him, can we report him to the SAHRC? Is there a statute of limitations on historical racist utterances?

— uTata walo flat 🇵🇸🇸🇩🇨🇩 (@Khuze_Elikhulu) June 19, 2024

#KnowYourDA @helenzille is a staunch supporter of racism and Apartheid.
She’s cut from the same cloth with @RenaldoGouws, birds of a feather. https://t.co/HUaGCa1uTq

— Insurrection is a Solution. (@Fighter_Azania) June 20, 2024

He disrepected our leaders who died in the struggle fighting Apartheid government. Pure racist

Julius Malema.Renaldo Gouws. DA. https://t.co/ldq1LJdFGi

— Tebogo Fabrige (@FabrigeTebogo) June 20, 2024

I hope he never comes back. We don’t wanna see his face again.

— Mwelase (@sdArkd90) June 20, 2024

If DA believe in a rainbow nation then it must distance itself from anyone who is not for a rainbow nation or else the black community must not vote for DA come next election. I voted for DA as black person bcz I Blvd thy are for a rainbow nation.

— A. ZOLA.🇿🇦 (@DAONETHING) June 20, 2024

Others think this has been taken out of context.

Are all journalists in SA seemingly incapable of interpreting context? SA has racists on all sides, but come on, this is pathetic. Faux outrage to smear the DA when SA undoubtedly needs DA intervention more than ever to save the country.

— Cryptobok (@Cryptobok11) June 20, 2024

Exactly – it’s almost good this has come out – it’s a perfect example of double standards – let’s do a review of the real crimes committed by MPs 😂

— Trisha 🐉 (@trishapackham) June 20, 2024

Stop the witch hunt or should i say racism hunt people there is more important matter to deal with like the 70+ murders a day the unemployment rate etc, yes he said yes he apologized

— Mathew Robert Scraton (@MathewScraton) June 20, 2024

The outcome of the Renaldo Gouws case will be a great test for double standards in SA.

He repeated what Zuma/Malema said, only changing the race, even clarifying right afterwards he didn’t mean what he said, and was only proving the point by putting the shoe on the other foot.

— Willem Petzer (@willempet) June 20, 2024