In honour of President Nelson Mandela’s legacy, Al Jama-ah’s lawmakers embarked on constructive and effective action to empower communities. Their 67 minutes of being pro-active included engagement with some religious leaders on matters relating to Muslim Personal Law; providing and planting seeds to sustain food security, acts of solidarity with NPOs by handing over stoves, food and netball kits; name-giving of a baby at Al Jama-ah’s Constituency office; distributing loaves of bread; handing over school shoes to impoverished learners; .
AL JAMA-AH’s MP spends 67 minutes with Muslim leaders to discuss Muslim Personal Law
On 18 July recognised as Mandela Day, Hon Hendricks spent his 67 minutes engaging with members of the Legislative Department of the Masjlisush Shura Al-Islami (Shura) in Cape Town to establish an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) structure for matters relating to Muslim Personal Law (M.P.L).
The 67 minutes engagement with members of Shura served to give effect on the recommendation in the South African Law Reform Commission’s White Paper on a One Statute Marriage Bill for the Muslim and other faith-based communities. The ADR will deal with disputes and matters relating to M.P.L which includes the Nikah (a Muslim marriage in terms of Shariah); Nafakah (Maintenance), Talaqs (Divorces) and other matters which might arise in a marriage.
Hendricks, who have served several decades as an office bearer for Shura, has now drafted a Private Members Bill (PMB) for the ADR. Shura’s Legislative Department will edit the PMB, and they will jointly engage with Parliament’s legislative drafting team. The first reading of the “Amendments to the Arbitration Act” is expected to take place in September 2023 and will make provision for an M.P.L Tribunal/Shariah Court.
AL JAMA-AH MPL OFFICIATES BABY’S NAME-GIVING
The Al Jama-ah’s Member of Provincial Legislature Maulana Galil Brinkhuis, spent part of his 67 minutes by officiating the name-giving of an eight-month-old baby girl at Al Jama-ah’s statutory Western Cape Legislature Constituency office.
Apart from assisting with enquiries on social and local government issues, Maulana was indeed surprised when he was asked to do the name-giving of the baby. The Constituency office is visited by several people daily who need assistance with municipal accounts and enquiries on housing waiting list.
The Party appeals to members of the public to visit their nearest Al Jama-ah Constituency offices.
EXECUTIVE MAYOR AND COUNCILLOR IN CITY OF JOHANNESBURG
Al Jama-ah’s Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg and fellow Councillor Imam Thapelo Amad identified the need for garden cleaning at the Japura Retirement Village for the aged. They planted 67 seeds towards creating sustainable food security and spring-cleaned the home.
MADIBENG MUNICIPALITY – AL JAMA-AH’s COUNCILLOR CARES!
Al Jama-ah Councillor Kabelo Nthekiso in the Madibeng Municipality in Northwest Province took the 67 minutes very serious – he not only donated a cooking stoves and food to the NPO Shanah Life House, but also handed over netball kits to the Golden Ladies Netball Team.
WESTERN CAPE
Al Jama-ah Councillor Adv Shameemah Salie (City of Cape Town) handed over loaves of bread to the needy in New Horizons, Pelican Park. In Mbekweni, Paarl, Al Jama-ah’s Drakenstein Councillor Ahmed Stulweni, bought school shoes for two impoverished learners at Mbekweni Higher Primary School.
KWAZULU-NATAL
Al Jama-ah’s Councillor in the Umuziwabantu Local Municipality in Harding, KwaZulu-Natal, G.M Cele and Al Jama-ah members spent their 67 minutes by repairing a broken wall of the house of an unemployed resident in Mkhoba Village. Clr Cele bought cement and they collected bricks from broken buildings to fix the wall.