A South African lawmaker has been suspended by his party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), after a series of old clips resurfaced online of him spewing violent racist language against black people.
Renaldo Gouws initially insinuated one of the videos was doctored and denied it but 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 less than a week ago, uses a local slur typically reserved for Black Africans repeatedly along with the n-word, and calls for black people to be killed.
It comes at a difficult time for President Cyril Ramaphosa as he has agreed to form a new coalition government with the DA.
The DA, a centre-right party, has faced continuous accusations of racism from critics who say the party only wants to protect the interests of the white-minority population – a charge it denies.
The DA has said Mr Gouws will face “disciplinary charges”.
It follows another resurfaced clip, which came out earlier in the week, where Mr Gouws makes racially charged remarks.
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”.
More than 40,000 people have signed an online petition calling for his removal as an MP.
On Monday, after the first clip came out, 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.
John Steenhuisen, the leader of the DA, 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, who told local media: “Such language is unjustifiable and unacceptable. I don’t see how such offensive language can be justified.”
Mr Gouws is a former councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay’s ward two and popular figure on social media, who has been known to stir controversy.
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David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
