Al Jama-ah, the Muslim-faith-based political party thrust to national prominence after having two successive City of Johannesburg mayors, has grand hopes for the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Founder and party leader Ganief Hendricks, speaking to The South African, says the Al Jama-ah is aiming for 10 seats come next month’s elections. And he says they are basing this forecast on one simple thing: they have more money ahead of 29 May 2024 than they did ahead of the 2019 polls.
“In 2019, the party had no resources. Everything came out of my pocket. I was a councillor and my full salary went to the party to cover expenses. We campaigned and got a seat on no budget,” said Hendricks. “Now, the IEC’s [Independent Electoral Commission’s) grants have helped. Also, the Multi-Party Democracy Fund has helped us,”
Road to 10 seats in Parliament for Al Jama-ah
At the 2019 general elections, Al Jama-ah garnered 31,468 votes, a 0.18% share of the total votes cast, which meant the party won their first-ever seat in the National Assembly since the organisation’s formation in 2007.
To get 10 seats in this coming election, Al Jama-ah would likely need to get over 414,864 votes – the number of votes Freedom Front Plus received in 2019, helping them to secure 10 seats in Parliament.
And now a question has arisen: is Al-Jama-ah plotting a way to the Gauteng premiership and/or South Africa’s presidency the same way it got into power in Johannesburg?
With numerous polls suggesting the ruling ANC will dip below 50% during the 2024 general elections, it is not inconceivable that what happened locally in the City of Johannesburg, could happen provincially in the Gauteng legislature or nationally in Parliament.
‘They trust us’: Al Jama-ah’s friendly relationship with ANC
Relating how the Al Jama-ah came to have its councillor, Thapelo Amad, installed as mayor, Hendricks says he was approached by Gauteng Premier and ANC provincial chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, and in exchange, Al Jama-ah wanted its priority municipal projects – such as fixing of potholes and water provision – accelerated.
“He [Lesufi] came to me at the funeral of Frene Ginwala [January 2023], the first speaker, and he said, ‘Look, I’ve spoken to the EFF and other parties. We want Al Jama-ah to lead [the coalition government in the City of Johannesburg]’ and that we should provide a candidate for them,” says Hendricks.
Hendricks, the party’s sole MP, said Al Jama-ah then chose Amad from the party’s three councillors in the municipality.
After Amad resigned, Kabelo Gwamanda was elected by the council to lead the City of Johannesburg, but not before being approached by ANC heavyweights such as Jeff Radebe, Thoko Didiza and Lesufi.
“It was automatic that Al Jama-ah would field a second mayor because the idea was that the ANC had enough trust in Al Jama-ah. Jeff Radebe [former justice minister and current ANC head of policy] had a special meeting with me, Lesufi and the minister of agriculture [Didiza]. At that meeting, councillor Thapelo Amad was present. It was a special meeting called by Jessie Duarte [late former ANC deputy secretary-general],” said Hendricks.
He said the ANC had taken a somewhat secret resolution that the Muslim-faith party was one they could trust and work with.
“The NEC [national executive committee of the ANC] took a decision that Al Jama-ah is a party had other parties’ trust,” Hendricks told The South African.
Gwamanda as MP and Amad as Gauteng premier?
Regarding Gwamanda’s seemingly looming move to Cape Town as an MP, if Al Jama-ah gets three seats or more come the general elections on 29 May 2024, Hendricks said it was possible as he did not want to impede the ambitions of his party colleagues.
“I don’t want to stand in the way of candidates,” he said. However, Hendricks intimated that they preferred that Gwamanda serve his entire term, with municipal elections due in 2024.
On the national candidates list released by the IEC made public on Tuesday, 26 March, Gwamanda is number three on the Al Jama-ah party list, behind fellow City of Johannesburg councillor Imraan Moosa (second). Hendricks tops the list.
“As Al Jama-ah will get 10 seats in Parliament, the choice is his [Gwamanda’s],” the 74-year-old said.
And there’s also hope within the party that Amad can become premier of Gauteng after the election. Amad tops the party’s provincial list but sits at 16 on the national candidates list.
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