Al Jama-ah (Arabic: الجماعة, lit.'the Congregation') is a South African political party. It was formed in 2007 by present leader Ganief Hendricks and contested the 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 national elections.[5]
The party aims to support Muslim rights and interests, though the party states that it supports working for the shared interest of all South Africans from different religious and cultural backgrounds.[6][7] The flag of Al Jama-ah depicts a white ǧīm (ج, the first letter in its Arabic name), upon a field consisting of the other Islamic colours. In January 2023, party member Thapelo Amad became Mayor of Johannesburg.[8] He resigned in April and was replaced by fellow party member Kabelo Gwamanda.[9]
History
Until 2019, the party had no elected representatives nationally or provincially although it came close in both the 2009 and 2014 elections, and won nine seats at the local level in the 2016 municipal elections.
It made a breakthrough in 2019, winning its first national representative (becoming the first Islam-affiliated party to do so), as well as one seat in the Western Cape legislature.
In October 2019, its member of parliament for the Western Cape, Izgak De Jager, was replaced by Galil Brinkhuis after De Jager was accused of not complying with an agreement to pay 50% of his gross salary to the party. De Jager in turn stated that the agreement was to pay 50% of the net, not gross salary, and accused the party of failing to disclose its debt to its members.[10]
In 2024, the party retained its single seat in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and gained an additional seat in the National Assembly, but claims that it turned down an offer from the African National Congress to participate in a Government of National Unity as it did not wish to be part of any coalition with the Democratic Alliance.[12] However, Al Jama-ah finally decided to join the government of national unity (GNU).[13] The leader of Al Jama-ah, Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim Hendricks, became Deputy Minister of Social Development in the coalition.[14]
Ideology and principles
Al Jama-ah is a social democratic party[15] with a focus on food and water security, education, and economic equality.
Economic policy
The party aims to eliminate value-added tax on essential food items such as bread, milk, and eggs. Further, it believes in legislation promoting land reform and the equitable distribution of the means of production.[15] It also aims to implement "non-discriminatory socioeconomic policies" and encourage entrepreneurship.[16]
Education
The main educational aims of the party are to provide free textbooks and stationery at all education levels. It also wants to improve the quality of public schooling to dismantle the legacy of unequal access to education left by Apartheid. Further, it believes in an adult basic education program to improve national literacy.[16]
Health care
Al Jama-ah supports a high quality public health care system. It wants to implement national health insurance and improve the management of hospitals and health centers. Further, it aims to set up mobile clinics in areas with poor health care access.[16]
Muslim marriages
Al Jama-ah introduced two private member's bills regarding Muslim marriages.[17] The Registration of Muslim Marriages bill,[18] and the second bill aimed to reform the Divorce Act of 1997 to comply with the proposed marriage legislation.[19]
Controversies
City of Johannesburg corruption
Thapelo Amad, an Al Jama-ah councillor in the City of Johannesburg, served as the city's Mayor for less than three months in 2023, and was forced to resign ahead of a motion of no confidence in his fitness for office.[20] Amad came under fire for referring to a R9.5 billion loan offer to the City from a private company. [21] Amad was replaced as Mayor by one of only three Al Jama-ah councillors in the City of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, who was elected with the support of the ANC and the EFF.[22] Gwamanda also survived a motion of no confidence after he was accused of running an illegal funeral scheme.[23] He is alleged to have deserted investors in his funeral insurance scheme after they claimed funeral benefits.[24] Gwamanda is under investigation by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority.[25]
Fugitive prophet
Party leader Hendricks admitted to having travelled to Malawi to meet fugitive prophet Shepherd Bushiri, a wanted man who fled South Africa following charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to over R100 million as well as charges of rape and sexual assault.[26] Hendricks returned from Malawi with a prophetic prediction from Bushiri, indicating the party's electoral support would increase. Hendricks told Newzroom Afrika that the party expected one million votes after Bushiri advised his three million congregants to vote for Al Jama-ah.[27] The party went on to only receive about 39,000 votes on the national ballot.
Prayer for the ANC
Galil Brinkhuis, a religious leader who represents Al Jama-ah in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament made a prayer for the African National Congress during a sitting of the legislature on the eve of the 2024 elections, adding that he hoped the party would take the lead in province.[28] Al Jama-ah distanced itself from Brinkhuis's prayer, saying that it was out of line with party interests. Brinkhuis later apologised and said that it was a mistake to pray for another party's success.[29]
Electricity surcharge fee
Under Al Jamaah's Gwamanda administration, the City of Johannesburg introduced a R200 surcharge fee for prepaid electricity meters in July 2024 in addition to a 12.7 electricity tariff fee. Residents criticised the City of Johannesburg for implementing the surcharge fee without public participation, however, Gwamanda denied this and instead defended the fee and said that it was there to stay.[30][31] The R200 fee targeted poor households and was criticised for the consequences it would have.[32]
^From 2024, seats in the National Assembly are determined by a combination of the national ballot, and the nine regional ballots. Only the national ballot figures are shown here.
