Rudi Stevens: The GBV workshop speaker at the centre of an assault video row

Rudi Stevens is the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) candidate for ward 108 in Cape Town.

But weeks before the local government elections, a video from his past has resurfaced.

It appears to show him assaulting his then wife.

Now, critics are demanding answers, while the DA says it believes in second chances.

The video began circulating on social media ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

The South African has seen the video. It appears to show Stevens assaulting his then wife.

It’s understood the video was recorded about five years ago.

The couple have since divorced, and a case opened against Stevens at the time was later withdrawn.

Ward 108 includes Sunbird Park in Kuils River.

WHO IS RUDI STEVENS?

Stevens describes himself as a community leader and a member of the local Residents and Ratepayers Association.

He also identifies himself as an advocate for families affected by gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

WHAT THE DA SAYS

DA Cape Town metro chairperson and City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith has defended Stevens.

“What he did is deplorable, but he has turned his life around and has devoted the last five years to campaigning for women’s rights,” Smith told the Weekend Argus.

“The DA believes in second chances and that people can be redeemed.”

Smith pointed to Stevens’s work over the past five years as an emergency responder, community volunteer, first-aid trainer and anti-GBV campaigner.

WHAT STEVENS SAYS

Stevens hasn’t yet commented publicly.

His spokesperson didn’t respond to the Weekend Argus‘s questions by the time of publication, but said a statement would be issued.

Stevens’s former wife declined to comment.

CRITICS DEMAND ANSWERS

Some community leaders have questioned how the DA vetted Stevens as a candidate.

Wendy Williams, of non-profit organisation Roots Community Outreach, said second chances matter, but aren’t the same as public accountability.

“People can change, and second chances matter. But legal eligibility, rehabilitation and public accountability are not the same thing,” she said.

She called on the DA to explain what due diligence it carried out, and whether it assessed the footage before selecting Stevens.

Former City of Cape Town councillor Grant Pascoe also criticised the party’s response.

“A withdrawn case does not prove that an assault never happened,” Pascoe said.

He called for an independent investigation into why the DA continues to support Stevens’s candidacy.

Posters calling on Smith to respond have also circulated on social media.

A WORKSHOP ON MEN’S UPLIFTMENT

The video surfaced days before Stevens was due to give a keynote address at a men’s upliftment workshop in Sunbird Park on Wednesday, 21 October.