Renaldo Gouws on joining the FF Plus and becoming 'more right-leaning'

“Thousands of people asked me to,” Renaldo Gouws says as he discusses the reasons for his return to active politics. “[In] messages on my videos, on articles written about me as well as emails received, people appreciated the work I did when I was a councillor and also the issues I raised on my social media,” he said.

It is quite a leap for the former nightclub DJ, DJ Renaldo, to make, but he said that as he ages (he is now 42), he finds himself “more right-leaning”.

“I noticed that I have become more right-leaning on many issues, such as abortion, the death penalty, the importance of family and so on. The leap from a centre-left party like the DA to a centre-right party like the FF Plus ⁠wasn’t that big for me. I also believe that under the leadership of Dr Corné Mulder, there has been a rejuvenation of the FF Plus, and I respect and value his leadership. He is a leader that I can get behind and support,” he said.

Gouws was sworn in as a DA MP in 2024, but suspended from the party shortly afterwards when a snippet of a video he had made and published on YouTube – but then deleted – resurfaced and was published by IOL. The Press Ombudsman later found that by doing this, IOL had breached the Press Code.

Read more: Ombud finds IOL broke Press Code on Renaldo Gouws video

His DA membership was terminated in September 2024. 

At the time, the DA issued the following statement: “The Democratic Alliance (DA) can confirm that the party’s Federal Executive has unanimously resolved to terminate Mr Renaldo Gouws’ membership. Mr Gouws has been formally informed of this decision. He therefore forfeits his Democratic Alliance seat in Parliament.

“This decision follows a thorough investigation conducted by the DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC) into the allegations against Mr Gouws. 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,” the statement concluded.

Hate speech charge

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), following several complaints, then filed a hate speech charge against Gouws in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Gqeberha. It argued that the words he used in the video snippet should not be said on a public platform, regardless of context. Gouws filed opposing papers in this case.

In the video, the subject of the Equality Court complaint, Gouws is heard saying: “Alright, so there’s a couple of things I want to say. Kill the f**ing k*ffirs, kill all the f*ing n*ggers. That’s all I gotta f*ing say. Kill all the k*ffirs! Kill all the f*ing n*ggers!”

But in his papers, Gouws said it was “patently false” that he called for the killing of black people in the video. He said the video published by IOL was only a snippet and by itself conveyed a “completely wrong impression” of what he intended. 

Read more: Renaldo Gouws ‘hate speech’ row — SAHRC seeks apology, community service, R100,000 fine for ex-MP

The SAHRC and Gouws settled the case in May with Gouws issuing an unconditional apology.

“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.

Gouws, who has 192,000 followers on YouTube, said after he was kicked out of the DA, he was approached by “various different parties”, but he first needed a break.

“After a year, I decided to return to active politics as I felt there was something missing in my life, to fight for this beautiful country,” he added.

Freedom Front Plus welcome

In its announcement, the FF Plus said: “Renaldo Gouws, popular social media personality and former DA Member of Parliament, has decided to throw in his weight with the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus).

“Gouws, an industrial psychologist with a significant following on platforms such as YouTube, has extensive political experience and a genuine passion for community values.

“Gouws’s passionate engagement with the country’s political and social issues earned him a following of over 400,000 across his various social media platforms, where he is known for his commentary and analysis of current affairs,” the statement continues. 

Nelson Mandela Bay FF Plus caucus leader Bill Harrington said, “I am pleased to welcome Renaldo to our party with great pride and excitement. Renaldo is more than just a familiar face on social media; he is someone who has consistently demonstrated his deep commitment to serving his community and contributing to the future of South Africa.

“Renaldo’s role within the [FF Plus] will be to strengthen and build on our existing structures, particularly within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. He has already applied to stand as a candidate for the upcoming local government elections, where the [FF Plus] will contest in all 60 wards across the metro. I am confident that he will play a vital role, especially in Ward 2, where he resides.”

During his political career with the DA, Gouws served as the councillor for Ward 2 in Nelson Mandela Bay, a ward covering the metro’s iconic beachfront. The Nelson Mandela University graduate was elected to the National Assembly in 2024, and even after he was dismissed from the party, he continued with community work in the area.

But Gouws said he also doubted if he would have remained in the DA, even if his membership had not been terminated. 

“The DA over the past year have become more leftist in their views and since joining the Government of National Unity (GNU), have failed to deliver on their election promises of fighting the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (Bela), the National Health Insurance Act and the Expropriation Act. 

“Even if my membership wasn’t terminated, I doubt I would have remained with the party after these sudden changes in their principles. The FF Plus has remained steadfast on their election promises and in my opinion are the rational minds within the GNU. The biggest difference between the DA and the FF Plus is leadership. In my opinion, the DA doesn’t have any direction under John Steenhuisen, whilst Dr Corné Mulder has a clear vision and direction towards a better South Africa for all,” he said.

DA response

DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp said in response to Gouws’ allegations that it was “completely untrue” that the DA had not stuck to its principles. “In fact, we have not stood back at all,” he said. “Several developments show the importance of the DA’s role in the GNU.” He added that the DA was also the only party that had gone to court over the Expropriation Act.

“I also want to emphasise that we were supported by the FF Plus on these matters in the GNU,” he said.

Aucamp said the DA had full confidence in Steenhuisen as a leader and that the party was growing under him.

Aucamp said organisations like AfriForum, Fedsas and Solidarity were full of praise for the regulations issued by the DA’s Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube.

Furthermore, he said no money had been budgeted for the operation of the National Health Insurance in the medium term. Under the DA’s watch an agreement had been reached to protect those who had medical aids.

Gouws said his emphasis would be to hold the government responsible.

“There is hope for South Africa. We can still become one of the greatest countries in the world. We have the best climate, the best people, diverse cultures and a beautiful country. We simply need to hold the government responsible and if they can’t [perform], replace them with a government that can fight the three big issues in our country, crime, unemployment⁠⁠ and corruption,” he said.

Gouws said the most crucial objective was for the “silent majority who have avoided politics” to become involved. 

“If only a quarter of them become vocal and raise their concerns, then it can flip the political landscape on its head. We have so many positives in this country, and we can easily deal with the issues if a competent government is put in charge,” he said.

Charlie Kirk

Earlier this month, Gouws released a video describing the assassination of US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, saying Kirk was someone who “stood on principle and was always willing to debate in good faith and was willing to reach over the aisle to the left and have a conversation”.

In the video, he said that among those who celebrated Kirk’s death claimed they stood for empathy.  He said Kirk was assassinated because “they couldn’t challenge his thoughts and beliefs”.

“What happened to Charlie Kirk demonstrates what happens when people stereotype and vilify one another based on ideology. What is needed now more than ever is for South Africans to start talking to one another and not merely trust politicians and the media to tell them how they should feel about each other.

“If we stop talking, then that is where we lose all hope. Most South Africans have more things in common than they know. ⁠We are better together than when we are divided,” Gouws said. DM