DA suspends MP Renaldo Gouws over inflammatory videos

Member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Renaldo Gouws has been suspended from all party activities with immediate effect and faces disciplinary action over an inflammatory video showing him using racist and violent language.

Gouws is shown using the words with “K” and “N” and using violent expressions such as “kill”.

On Wednesday, the public prosecutor’s office said it would confirm the authenticity of the video, which was deleted and archived in 2012. Gouws denied making the comments on the video and said it was a fake.

“The public prosecutor has established that the video in which Renaldo Gouws uses vile language is indeed genuine and not a fake, as initially suspected,” the party said.

His case has been forwarded to the party’s Federal Legal Commission, where he can present his defense, according to the chairman of the DA Federal Council. Helen Zille.

This is not the first such incident involving Gouws. Another video of him making offensive remarks in 2009 also made the rounds on social media earlier this week.

Calls for his removal as MP prompted him to apologize for the 2009 video.

“I reject all accusations of racism or racism. However, I see how my message was distorted by the way I delivered it and I take full responsibility for the actions of my younger and immature self. For that, I apologize unreservedly,” he said of the 2009 video.

Zille said the party would await the outcome of his disciplinary hearing.