Former DA MP Renaldo Gouws has apologised for making racist remarks and has acknowledged that they were hurtful to black people.
As a result, the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has withdrawn a case of hate speech it had lodged with the Equality Court against Gouws.
In his apology, Gouws said it was “unacceptable” for him to have used violent language to make his point.
“To all South Africans, especially black South Africans, and black people globally — 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 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.”
The commission had instituted proceedings against Gouws after a 2010 video containing racially offensive and harmful language directed at black South Africans resurfaced last year.
Commission spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said they welcomed Gouws’s “acknowledgment of the impact of his past conduct and reiterated that the right to freedom of expression must be exercised in a manner that respects the dignity and equality of all people”.
Baloyi said Gouws had contacted the commission in March, requesting mediation.
The matter has since been settled through the commission’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process. “As with other recent matters involving public expressions of racial harm, the commission continues to apply ADR mechanisms where appropriate, guided by the objectives of accountability, reconciliation and social cohesion,” he said.
As part of the settlement, Gouws will participate in two sessions convened by the commission consisting of workshops, public education and/or awareness-raising activities aligned with its mandate, Baloyi said.
He will also attend a diversity sensitisation session.
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