Expel Racist Gouws from further parliamentary activities

By: Thabisile Miya
This is a plea to the joint committee on ethics and members’ interest to suspend Renaldo Gouws from further parliamentary activities until the outcome of the DA investigation is concluded. Furthermore, the committee has to send a strong message that racism is unacceptable.
If the DA does not act against their member, parliament must show leadership and refuse him access to any meetings while he is suspended. As if attending the DA induction wasn’t bad enough, now we learn he attended an induction for the Auditor-General’s Standing Committee.
The code of ethical conduct binds parliamentarians to maintain public confidence in parliament’s integrity, to engender the respect and confidence society requires of parliament as a representative body. Moreover, members of parliament are also expected to be committed to the eradication of all forms of discrimination.
Action can be taken against members who are found guilty of breaching these guidelines after an investigation. While the DA’s investigation into Gouws is still ongoing, he should be barred from participating in any parliamentary duties until a ruling is made. However, Wouter Wessels, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, has clarified that the committee itself does not have the authority to bar Gouws; this responsibility lies with the ethics committee of the National Assembly.
While Gouws is a member of two committees, the standing committee on the Auditor-General and the portfolio committee on Tourism, it is in the interest of the ethics committee to send a strong message that a breach of their code of conduct is unacceptable. Previously, the ethics committee received complaints about allegations of state capture, corruption, and fraud by an MP. In which various penalties were issued for the transgressions. While this is commendable, earlier this year, after the opening of parliament, a meeting to review the ethical code of conduct took place, and a framework for MP’s ethical interaction on social media was devised.
According to party leader Helen Zille, the video, which they thought was fake, is actually real and as the federal council, hope that the investigation will be expedited. Meanwhile, the EFF has also come guns blazing towards the DA’s John Steenshuisen for his recent appointment of controversial and extremist podcaster Roman Cabanac as chief of staff in the office of the minister of agriculture.
Beyond this, the last national election results indicated a decline in the democratic process, heavily marked by an increase in political apathy, especially among young people. In light of this, the government of national unity is entrusted with vast power and responsibility to serve its citizens. Members of parliament, particularly, have a crucial role to play in restoring trust among those they represent. The National Assembly has to exercise greater oversight towards ensuring MPs adhere to the code of conduct. It is simply not enough that Gouws gets a slap on the wrist for his regressive and racist remarks, which have been long documented.
In addition to all of this, the Human Rights Commission of South Africa (SAHRC) also issued a statement in which they took legal action against Gouws for his racist online content. The DA cannot sneak Gouws back into active duty without publicly dealing with the charges and taking action. The Joint Committee on Ethics and Member’s Interests has to exercise its powers and demonstrate that breaching parliamentary conduct has consequences. This sends a strong message to citizens that elected members of parliament can be held accountable.
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About the author:
Thabisile Miya is a member of the ACTIVATE! Change Drivers Writers Hub, works in the NGO space, is passionate about digital advocacy and writes to make sense of the world.
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