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Renaldo Gouws, a former Democratic Alliance (DA) member, has publicly criticized the party’s disciplinary process after being fired for making racist remarks. Gouws claims there is a campaign against him, fueled by the media, and is unhappy with the three-month investigation that led to his termination.
The investigation, conducted by the Federal Legal Commission (FLC), centered on two charges: recording and uploading discriminatory remarks and failing to disclose the existence of a video. Although Gouws was found not guilty of the first charge, he was found guilty of the second, despite having declared his YouTube channel and its content.
However, the FLC’s recommendation that Gouws remain a DA member, conditional on closing his YouTube channel and abstaining from social media, was overruled by the Federal Executive, which opted for termination instead. This decision has left Gouws questioning the openness and transparency of the process.
“Why did we waste three months asking actual lawyers to engage with me only for the Fedex, who didn’t participate in any meetings, to reject their findings?” Gouws asked. He also highlighted a significant limitation in the DA’s internal procedures, noting that its constitution states FLC decisions cannot be appealed, leaving him without recourse.
“It’s shocking that I can’t appeal this outcome,” Gouws said.
He argues that this situation raises important questions about disciplinary procedures and potential pitfalls. The involvement of HR in decision-making, dismissing for reasons not covered by the disciplinary policy, and failing to consider alternative sanctions are all common issues.
Gouws plans to release a 40-minute video detailing his experience, shedding light on what he perceives as a lack of fairness within the DA’s disciplinary framework. He suggests the DA could save resources by being more transparent about predetermined outcomes.
“I suggest the DA should just save the FLC some time…and come up with a predetermined outcome rather than wasting resources on a process that seems to have been predetermined,” Gouws said.
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