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The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest political party, has suspended one of its Members of Parliament, Renaldo Gouws, following the emergence of videos containing racist and offensive comments. This suspension comes at a sensitive time, just days after the DA formed a coalition government with the African National Congress (ANC).
The controversy erupted when a video clip surfaced showing Gouws using extremely offensive racial slurs, including the K-word and the N-word. In the video, which appears to be from 2010, Gouws also claimed that black people were discriminating against white people and referred to the situation as a “new apartheid.”
The DA swiftly responded to the scandal, confirming the authenticity of the video and immediately suspending Gouws pending disciplinary charges. This action highlights the party’s attempt to distance itself from racist rhetoric, especially given its recent alliance with the ANC.
Gouws, who is also a YouTuber, had previously apologized for a different video from 2008 where he spoke about “reverse apartheid” against white people. However, the more recent revelations have intensified scrutiny of his past statements and behavior.
This incident has reignited debates about racial tensions in South African politics. It has also put pressure on the DA, which has long faced accusations of favoring the interests of the white minority – a claim the party denies.
The controversy surrounding Gouws extends beyond racist comments, with additional videos surfacing where he uses homophobic slurs and mocks traditional African practices. These incidents collectively paint a troubling picture of the newly sworn-in MP’s past conduct and raise questions about the vetting process for political candidates in South Africa.