The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has lauded the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) decision to expel racist Renaldo Gouws from Parliament.
This expulsion comes after a thorough investigation conducted by the DA’s Federal Legal Commission (FLC) into the allegations against Gouws. The FLC found Gouws guilty of contravening several sections of the DA’s constitution.
According to the DA’s national spokesperson Willie Aucamp, “the DA remains committed to upholding its values of accountability, non-racialism, and respect for all South Africans”.
Cosatu's parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks, expressed relief that Gouws has been removed from his position, saying: “Cheerleaders for racial violence must have no space in Parliament in a democratic South Africa.”
Parks emphasised the importance of eliminating such figures from public office, particularly given the deep emotional and economic scars left by apartheid.
"Ordinary citizens, who still bear the deep emotional and lived economic scars of apartheid, should never be expected to tolerate such political charlatans as their public representatives, worse at the expense of ordinary workers’ hard-earned taxes," he said.
Parks said that the expulsion of Gouws follows a similar action taken by DA leader and Minister for Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, who recently removed Roman Cabanac, another figure associated with racial incitement, from his role as Chief of Staff.
Cosatu’s call for such actions reflects a broader expectation for political parties to demonstrate sensitivity to the trauma experienced by black South Africans, said Parks.
Parks also stressed the need for humility and self-correction, urging the DA to apply the same consideration to the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
He noted that millions of black South Africans support the Act’s provisions for oversight by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) concerning school admission, dress codes, and language policies.
Parks said that the fight for a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa, as envisioned by the African National Congress’ Freedom Charter and enshrined in the Constitution, is an ongoing journey.
"This responsibility did not end as we cast our ballots in our first democratic elections on April 27, 1994, but is a daily journey," Parks said.
In addition, Parks said that Cosatu advocates for a firm stance against hate speech and incitement.
Parks called on the government to enforce the Prevention and Combating of Hate Speech and Crimes Act with "the ruthless efficiency it demands," and to reject hatred in all its forms across social media and public platforms.
IOL Politics