Politics

South Africa: Opposition DA party suspends MP over racist remarks from old videos

Published

6 months ago

June 22, 2024

A recently sworn-in member of the South African parliament was suspended by the opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), on Thursday after an old video of him advocating for the murder of Black people reappeared on social media.

A portion of a video with a young, white man named Renaldo Gouws making anti-Black comments was posted on social media on Wednesday. Gouws, 41, a former provincial council member for the Eastern Cape, was not available for comment.

He claimed in the video that he did not mean any of his offensive words about race and that he was providing background on Julius Malema, the then-youth leader of the African National Congress, singing a song from the apartheid era that advocated for the murder of white farmers.

A South African court found Malema guilty of uttering hate speech in 2011 for performing the song. Malema is currently the leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party.

One of the most unequal nations in the world, South Africa, where racial tensions have persisted three decades after the end of white minority rule, was rocked by the Gouws video.

According to the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the recently formed unity government in South Africa, it has shown beyond a reasonable doubt that the video in which Gouws used “execrable language” is real and authentic.

Gouws has been immediately suspended from all party activities, according to Helen Zille, chairperson of the federal council of the party.

“His case has been referred to the Federal Legal Commission and if he wants to state his defence, he will be able to do so there. But till then he is suspended from all party activities and we await the outcome of his disciplinary hearing,” she said.

The Human Rights Commission of South Africa announced that Gouws would be sued for allegedly using hate speech.

The lawmaker apologized for “the actions of my younger and immature self” in a statement he posted on X on Monday in response to the video, rejecting any accusations of racism.

Related Topics:Democratic Alliance Featured South Africa

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

6 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

7 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.