PRESS RELEASE
NO EMBARGO
22 May 2024
AL JAMA-AH denounces the gutter politics espoused by some opposition parties to discredit the party:
Al Jama-ah rejects and condemns the gutter politics and attempts from some opposition parties to place Al Jama-ah in disrepute with its latest round of gossip.
The approach by these parties is misleading and fallacious, and shows their total lack of understanding of the context within which ordinary and especially marginalized South Africans live in.
Al Jama-ah has for the past few years been focused on significant efforts on bridging the divide between urban and rural communities. For those who have an insight into rural political settings, which politicians generally don’t have, this entails navigating entry into these communities with the tribal chieftainship.
In Mpumalanga, the rural community requested permission from their religious leader for them to campaign for Al Jama-ah. They were appreciative of the fact that Al Jama-ah was the only party that assisted them with key equipment and infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of their village; these communities would have otherwise fallen through the cracks.
“We had a similar situation in Atlantis where our candidate, ‘Aunty Anne’, informed us that as a staunch Catholic, she wished to adhere to protocol by seeking blessings from her priest, and prepared a “table for her priest in the process.” The priest gave his blessings for her to be nominated by a Muslim party. The church was happy that one of their members was chosen, as no other party ever did so,” explained Hon Ganief Hendricks leader of Al Jama-ah and Member of Parliament. This shows how insulated some Muslim and other communities generally are from one another. This is also contrary to Islam, which in essence, was sent as a blessing to all of humanity.
The Mpumalanga villagers ascribe it to the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church, led by Shepherd Bushiri. We accepted an invitation to meet with their provincial leader on request by the villagers. “We have NO affiliation with Bushiri. No compromises were made. No commitments or promises were made, and certainly, NO money was handed to our party. This mission was only to give our village members peace of mind. We care about them, but we have no say in their choice of leadership,” Hendricks clarified.
The party made it clear that they do not endorse or defend lawlessness and criminality. “Sexual violence and fraudulent conduct are strongly prohibited in our Qur’an. And we, as Al Jama-ah are doing our best to lead by example.”
We do not know what the Almighty holds in store for these villagers. But the introduction to the values and ethos that Al Jama-ah represents may be one of the turning points for them, in every sense. For those who hold superior, segregationist, and racist attitudes towards these members who have long been forgotten and isolated by other political parties – shame on you!
For media interviews contact:
Ms Sinazo Mtshengu
Cell: 078 512 3186