Unapologetic: Renaldo Gouws expelled by DA. Picture: Henk Kruger / Independent
Former DA member Renaldo Gouws has broken his silence after he was axed from the party over racism claims, saying he will be fighting back to clear his name.
Gouws took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that he had been informed of the party's decision to terminate his membership, which meant he would no longer be holding his seat in Parliament under the DA.
“Mr Gouws has been formally informed of this decision. He therefore forfeits his Democratic Alliance seat in Parliament,” Willie Aucamp, DA national spokesperson said on Friday.
This comes after an investigation was conducted by the DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC).
“The FLC found Mr Gouws guilty of contravening several sections of the DA’s constitution. The DA remains committed to upholding its values of accountability, non-racialism, and respect for all South Africans,” Aucamp said.
IOL broke the story on how Gouws shared a now deleted video on social media over a decade ago where he could be heard saying: “Alright so there’s a couple of things I want to say. Kill the f**ing k*****s, kill all the f***ing n*ggers. That’s all I gotta f***ing say.”
He was subsequently suspended, but continued to work as an MP, and even attended an induction hosted by the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General.
Gouws confirmed the decision to axe him was taken after an investigation into allegations brought against him based on an article which found he had breached the press code on various counts.
“While I respect the processes within the party, I strongly disagree with both the findings of the FLC and the actions taken by FedEx.
“It is disheartening to see a decision like this, especially one that I believe fails to reflect the full context of my actions and my dedication to my role as a public representative. It's also disheartening that something I said 15 years ago, and completely taken out of context, is held against me as if it was said over the last year,” Gouws said.
He said the DA’s decision seemed to be motivated by factors beyond the merits of the case against him.
Gouws said he would be exploring his options to challenge the decision and clear his name.
monique.duval@inl.co.za
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