Al Jama-ah Campaigning: Extending Its Footprints, Contesting Ward 7 By-Elections

Al Jama-ah has been working hard in selected cities and several villages around the country; the purpose is to not just extend its footprints but to assist nearby and far-flung communities that wallow in poverty and that encounter joblessness. The party’s leader, Hon M. G. E Hendricks demonstrated his passion in wanting to not only change lives but also transform environments.

He and his party members have assisted KZN’s Groutville community setting up a small peanut butter industry; Eastern Cape’s Mpame village securing a fishing vessel to help the community establishing a fishing hamlet; Western Cape’s District Six claimants getting their keys; and together they went to KZN’s Claridge’s to monitor an already productive farm that intends to be part of a series of such locations that would supply communities with vegetables and other items.

But whilst the party busies itself with these village communities, it identified more than 60 villages that it plans to transform with the communities’ input and government aid. Many have organized youth activities such as football and netball to entertain them on 16 June but, at the same time, develop networks that would be the party’s potential support structures.

Amidst these developments, it has been in touch with religious fraternities too with the idea of gaining support from non-traditional associations. Generally, many theological bodies such as KZN’s Jami’at ul Ulama and the Cape-based Muslim Judicial Council have not been willing to publicly endorse Al Jama-ah as a viable political platform; their members were, ironically, more than prepared to join the Zionist-aided DA. Though Al Jama-ah demonstrated its ability to lead and legislate on the Muslim Marriage Bill and related Acts, these theological bodies showed their readiness to accept destructive whispering (fitna) from disgruntled individuals instead of giving it a hearing!

Anyhow, Al Jama-ah met with KZN’s African Sunni Ulema (ASU) that have since thrown their weight behind it because of what they witnessed over the past months. They observed that it managed to appoint one of its councillors as the City of Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor; as soon as the larger parties (such as ActionSA, DA, and PA) – along with untrustworthy media institutions – undermined him, it selected another candidate. As a result, Al Jama-ah made further headlines illustrating its mettle. These developments spurred ASU to adopt Al Jama-ah as its home and it thus wishes to announce that the nation should watch the space for more socio-political developments.

While these have taken place, it chose to contest the Johannesburg by-elections in Ward 7 that consists of Ennerdale and Finetown respectively. Though the campaign started off well, it seems that the ‘bigger’ political players disrespect the IEC regulations. As a result, Al Jama-ah’s candidate, Mr. Mxolisi Vuma’s life was threatened whilst campaigning; and, on top of that, party posters were defaced and its campaign team was attacked!

Al Jama-ah’s candidate has been an active community worker who demonstrated commitment in wanting to return the communities’ dignity; it seems that the other parties are concerned that he will pip their candidates at the polls on 28 June 2023. Well, Al Jama-ah feels confident that he might do that; and if he does, it wants to underline that it is ‘a trusted party’ that will serve and deliver!