Renaldo Gouws, the former Democratic Alliance (DA) MP, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over a hate speech complaint – a case sparked by an exposé by IOL that unearthed his deeply offensive racist remarks.
This resolution marks the culmination of IOL’s sustained reporting, which brought to light a video recorded by Gouws in 2010.
In it, Gouws made vile racial slurs, including the statement: “Alright, so there’s a couple of things I want to say. Kill the f**ing kffirs, kill all the fing nggers. That’s all I gotta fing say. Kill all the kffirs! Kill all the fing n*ggers.” The exposé led to Gouws being dismissed from the DA and prompted widespread public condemnation.
As part of the SAHRC settlement, Gouws has been ordered to issue a public apology.
Gouws was subsequently fired from the DA for the racist comments. “I’m happy that I can close this chapter of my life and move on to greater things,” he told IOL.
In a monetised video, Gouws declared that the apology was unconditional, earnest and sincere.
“While I was a 27-year-old student and not yet a political figure, I recorded and published a video on YouTube in which I intended to comment on then-ANC Youth League President Julius Malema’s singing of the words, ‘Kill the Boer’.
“I maintain that singing those words is insensitive, offensive, divisive and deeply hurtful towards Afrikaners, especially those affected by violent crime in rural areas. However, I acknowledge now that my critique was insensitive, offensive, divisive and deeply hurtful towards black people,” he said.
However, Roscoe Palm, who broke the story for IOL and is now a GOOD Party councillor is not convinced of Gouws’ apology.
“It is said that leopards cannot change their spots. I imagine that the apology will ring hollow for the majority of South Africans. Mr Gouws could have apologised at any time. That he chooses to do so as part of a settlement agreement is most telling,” he told IOL.
“He had armed himself with crowdfunded legal assistance and was able to fight the case from a position of eminent privilege. The very sovereignty of South Africa is being undermined by white supremacists, who feed on misinformation, of which Mr Gouws has been a happy amplifier thereof.”
Palm went on to say that if Gouws is sincerely apologetic, he should endeavour to repair the harm he has caused the country via commission and omission.
IOL reached out to the South African Human Rights Commission for comment.
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