PRESS RELEASE
NO EMBARGO
22 May 202
AL JAMA-AH distances itself from a statement made by its Western Cape MPL that he has prayed for an ANC win in the upcoming elections:
Al Jama-ah Party says it’s Member of the Western Cape Legislature Maulana Galil Brinkhuis, has acted without a mandate by declaring that he has made special prayers for the ANC to win the upcoming national and provincial elections.
The party therefore distances itself from the statement made by Brinkhuis during yesterday’s (Tuesday 21 May 2024) sitting of the Legislature.
“We appreciate the ANC government’s initiation of the case before the ICJ to stop the genocide in Palestine, and we will continue to support this effort. But that is where our praise ends. We observe that even though the ANC supports the issuance of an arrest warrant for the Zionist war criminal Benny Netanyahu and others for the genocide of Palestinians, they also endorse the issuing of an arrest warrant for the Hamas Freedom fighters – it’s like calling for the arrests of ANC, PAC, and Azapo Resistance fighters during apartheid – which we as Al Jama-ah strongly condemns. There are many other fundamental policy differences we have as Al Jama-ah, which cannot be reconciled with ANC practice, and these include our utmost commitment to addressing and ending corruption, equity for ALL people, and justice at all levels of state and society,” says Hon Ganief Hendricks the party’s leader and Member of Parliament.
Brinkhuis was summoned by the Party’s top leadership yesterday to explain himself. Hendricks says that Brinkhuis was told by the Party that he has gone too far, and that his offer of special prayers for the ANC to govern was out of line with the party’s interests and beliefs, as the ANC has failed all our people, and their promise for reforms is a mere pipe dream.
Hendricks says it’s highly unusual for a party member to offer special prayers for the success of another party. “We will give Brinkhuis a fair chance to explain himself. As a party we owe it to our supporters and members to provide clarity on this matter,” he adds.
Brinkhuis has in the meantime tendered his apology for letting the party down.
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