Crowdfunding platform Backabuddy has shut down a fundraising campaign in support of suspended Democratic Alliance MP Renaldo Gouws.

The campaign had raised R48 475 of its R100 000 goal when the decision was made to stop accepting donations.

Backabuddy CEO Patrick Schofield told IOL that the campaign in support of Gouws, who had been accused of racism, had been under active discussion throughout the day on Tuesday.

Schofield indicated that the campaign had been flagged very early after its initiation and after a review process, the decision was made to close the campaign as it did not fit into Backabuddy’s terms and conditions.

Schofield indicated that the money would be returned to the donors.

“The donors associated with this campaign will be contacted and arrangements are being made to refund their donations in full.”

The highest single donation out of 78 unique donors was a R10 000 anonymous donation, with the comment “Cheers mate, I hope this helps your case, our case, be well.”

The crowdfunding campaign was set up by a user named Richard Dickson to cover “Renaldo Gouws’s legal bills against the SAHRC and also future legal bills with some of the mainstream media that knowingly misrepresented his words by only playing 15 seconds of a 6 minute video clip which they had access to but refused to publish in full.”

The DA has since suspended Gouws, while the SAHRC has launched an investigation into the videos he made in 2010, in which he says “kill all k*****s”.

Following IOL’s report members of staff, management, ownership, and family members were intimitated.

Schofield said that this was one of the key factors that motivated them to freeze the Renaldo Gouws crowdfunding campaign.

“This campaign has directly resulted in hate speech and threats, hence being removed,” Schofield said to IOL.

roscoe.palm@iol.co.za

Daily Voice