Renaldo Gouws apologizes to Julius Malema for racial slurs
Former Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Renaldo Gouws issued a public apology on 15 May, for using racially charged and harmful language in a 2010 YouTube video targeting Black South Africans, including Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema.
The apology settled a hate speech case brought by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
In the video, recorded when Gouws was 27 and not yet a public figure, he responded to Malema’s singing of the controversial “K*ll the Boer, K*ll the Farmer” song. Gouws used racial slurs, including the K-word and N-word, called Malema an “ignorant, little fing bl*ck idiot,” and described those singing with him as “fing b*rbaric people,” while criticizing affirmative action as a “new apartheid.”
The video resurfaced, prompting the SAHRC to pursue legal action for its racist and inflammatory content.
In his apology, Gouws acknowledged that his language was “insensitive, divisive, and deeply hurtful,” aligning with the Constitutional Court’s ruling that such terms are unutterable and racist. “I am sorry for the pain, anger, and trauma my words have caused,” he stated, admitting that using such language to provoke was unacceptable, even if not meant literally.
The SAHRC withdrew the case, sparing Gouws potential penalties like community service.