24 September 2025
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES
PRESS RELEASE
NO EMBARGO
The Al Jama-ah Party’s leader forces the lifting of a ban which prevents charity organisations from accessing bulk water from depots in Johannesburg:
Al Jama-ah Party’s leader who is Deputy Minister of Social Development had to urgently intervene in bypassing red tape to allow charity organisations to access water bulk points to fill their water tankers for distribution to areas without water supplies.
The NGO Al Imdaad Foundation appealed to Hendricks for intervention in his capacity as Deputy Minister of Social Development, after they were informed that they would not have access to the water depot.
In exercising his powers as a Presidential District Development Champion for Johannesburg, Hendricks lifted the ban which prevents charity organisations like Al Imdaad Foundation from accessing free bulk water. Hendricks visited the Emerentia Water depot in Johannesburg yesterday (23 September 2025) and instructed officials to give all charity organisations free bulk water for distribution.
He further instructed that the Al Imdaad Foundation should be given first priority as they travelled from Durban to assist with the distribution of water to the most vulnerable communities. “Al Imdaad Foundation can access bulk water from depots in the other eight provinces and its only the City of Johannesburg who is blocking them from accessing bulk water,” says Hendricks.
Hendricks says the group known as ‘Joburg Water’ is violating the Constitution which states that “everyone has a right to access water” and should be taken to court for preventing charity organisations from distributing water to communities in need.
He says that there are clear Presidential orders that NGOs must be embraced, assisted and the red tape hampering the execution of their work, must be removed. Hendricks further instructed officials at the Emarentia Water depot to lift the ban on charity organisations from accessing bulk water points immediately. Following his intervention, the ban was eventually lifted to allow all charity organisations to access bulk water for distribution.
Issued by Asghar Khan on behalf of Al Jama-ah
For media enquiries contact:
Nisa Hendricks (Media and Marketing Manager)
Cell: 082 613 1917