Former Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Renaldo Gouws has apologized for his racist remarks that he made in a video in 2010.
This after he settled out of court with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in his hate speech case in relation to a video he published in 2010, which contained racially offensive and harmful language directed at black South Africans.
The SAHRC received a series of complaints from the public after the video resurfaced in 2024, and it instituted proceedings against Gouws before the Equality Court.
Gouws contacted the SAHRC two months ago requesting that the two parties explore mediation, and the matter was settled through the commission’s alternative dispute resolution process.
According to the commission, the terms of the settlement include a full and unconditional public apology, which Gouws has since issued.
In the apology, Gouws acknowledged that the language he used in the video was unacceptable.
“I accept now that the Constitutional Court has correctly declared these racial slurs to be unutterable and racist.
To all South Africans, especially black South Africans, and black people globally, I’m sorry.
I’m sorry for the pain, anger, and trauma my words have caused.
I’m sorry for trying to justify, minimise and sanitise them.
I know that 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.
The commission welcomed Gouws’s acknowledgment of the impact of his past conduct.
“As part of this settlement, Gouws will participate in two sessions convened by the SAHRC which will consist of workshops, public education and/or awareness-raising activities aligned with the SAHRC’s mandate as well as attending a diversity sensitisation session,” read a statement from the SAHRC.
The DA recalled Gouws from parliament last year, and he has since resigned from the party.
