After a year out of politics, podcaster and former Democratic Alliance (DA) MP, Renaldo Gouws, has announced his return to the field, this time under the banner of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+). He said the decision followed months of reflection and encouragement from supporters who urged him to re-enter political life.

Gouws, who had also served as a municipal councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay before he was elected as an MP, described politics not as a career, but as a calling to serve. He framed his choice in terms of values, pointing to the pursuit of justice, equality, and opportunity for all South Africans as guiding principles that drew him back. According to Gouws, his time away from party politics allowed space for clarity on how best to pursue those goals.

Gouws was removed as an MP after concerns over videos that he had posted on his YouTube channel in the past. In the videos he had attempted to highlight the double standards in South African politics where slogans such as "Kill the Boer" are allowed while anti-black racial slurs are seen as taboo. He filmed himself saying the k-word in an attempt to prove the double standard. Following his election as an MP there was a public outcry in some quarters which saw Gouws removed as from parliament by the DA.

Explaining why he chose the FF+, Gouws said the party’s commitment to freedom, minority rights, and self-determination resonated strongly with him. These elements, he argued, were critical in South Africa’s current political climate, where many communities feel disempowered and excluded from decision-making processes.

Gouws said his renewed commitment was about giving communities a stronger voice in shaping their futures, promising to bring energy and conviction back into his political work.