Former Democratic Alliance member of Parliament Renaldo Gouws has apologised for a 15-year-old racist video that emerged after he was elected to public office. The apology is part of a settlement with the South African Human Rights Commission, which had brought a hate speech case against him.
Former Democratic Alliance MP Renaldo Gouws has made a full and unconditional apology for a 15-year-old racist video he uploaded on YouTube, but later removed.
The video resurfaced when he was sworn in as a member of Parliament in 2024.
“To all South Africans and especially black South Africans, I am sorry. I am sorry for the pain, anger and trauma my words have caused. I am sorry for trying to justify, minimise and sanitise them. I know this apology does not erase what I said or did, but it is a step I must take to acknowledge the effect of my actions and begin to account for them,” said Gouws in the apology, broadcast on his YouTube channel on Thursday.
He expressed a commitment to “learning, listening and doing the difficult work of repair.”
