Where the facts about Al Jama-ah come from

Al Jama-ah is on the IEC's list in 42 councils. These include 7 of the 8 metros, all except Mangaung.

Fix water leaks, sewer overflows and neglected roads, and collect refuse daily. Work with police, policing forums, neighbourhood watches, schools and local groups on crime. Hire public works (EPWP) workers permanently and split tenders for township and youth businesses. Livestream council and tender meetings and publish council contracts online.

Water: Al Jama-ah promises quick repair teams in each ward to stop water leaks. It also promises smart meters to cut water that is lost or not paid for. In its own words: “Deploy ward-based rapid repair teams to eliminate water leaks, curb non-revenue water loss with smart meters”

Electricity and power cuts: Al Jama-ah promises one plan for energy. It would repair high-mast lights and protect the power network. It would also add solar power and power from private producers. In its own words: “Implement a unified One Energy Master Plan, combining high-mast lighting restoration, grid protection, solar embedded generation, Independent Power Producers (IPPs)”

Rubbish: Al Jama-ah promises to pick up refuse on a set daily plan. It also promises to clear illegal dumping sites. And it promises to use local cleaning teams. In its own words: “Standardize daily scheduled refuse collection, eliminate illegal dumping sites, and deploy local cleaning corps.”

Toilets and sewage: Al Jama-ah promises a full overhaul of the main sewer pipes. The aim is to end sewage overflows that keep happening. In its own words: “Execute comprehensive bulk sewer engineering overhauls to end chronic overflows”

Roads: Al Jama-ah promises a major overhaul of neglected roads in townships and suburbs. In the same line it promises ward-based rapid repair teams and an end to water leaks. A ward is a small area with its own councillor. In its own words: “overhaul neglected township and suburban roads.”

Informal settlements: Al Jama-ah promises that people in informal settlements will get secure, formal rights to their land. It also promises serviced plots and ways to move into permanent homes. In its own words: “Transition informal settlement dwellers from precarious occupancy to formal tenure security, serviced stands, and pathways to permanent housing.”

Title deeds: Al Jama-ah promises to hand out title deeds faster. It promises to publish targets every three months and let the public track progress online. In its own words: “Fast-track title deed issuance with published quarterly targets and public digital tracking.”

Crime: Al Jama-ah promises to work with the police and community policing forums. It also promises to work with neighbourhood watches and schools. And it would work with local groups. In its own words: “work with SAPS, Community Policing Forums, Neighbourhood Watch Committees, Schools and Community organisations”

Metro police: Al Jama-ah promises to make council law enforcement stronger, but only in ways the law allows. It says it would work with the South African Police Service (SAPS), Community Policing Forums, neighbourhood watches, schools and community groups. A legal mandate is the set of powers the law gives a body. In its own words: “strengthen municipal law enforcement within its legal mandate”

Local jobs: Al Jama-ah promises permanent jobs for workers in the Expanded Public Works Programme. The council would hire them itself, in ward teams. They would do upkeep, waste and security work. In its own words: “insourcing Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers directly into permanent, ward-based maintenance, waste, and security teams.”

Business and growth: Al Jama-ah promises to split council tenders into smaller parts. This is so township contractors, youth businesses and co-operatives can compete fairly. In its own words: “Unbundle municipal tenders so local township contractors, youth businesses, and cooperatives can compete fairly.”

Corruption: Al Jama-ah promises to stream council meetings live, and the meetings that decide on tenders. It also promises public online pages that show council contracts. In its own words: “livestreamed council and bid adjudication meetings, public contract dashboards”

Wasteful spending: Al Jama-ah promises a 30-day referral rule. It is for irregular spending. That is money spent in a way that breaks the rules. The manifesto does not say what the rule means or who cases are referred to. In its own words: “a 30-day referral rule for irregular expenditure.”

City of Johannesburg: Part of the group of parties that runs the council. Two Al Jama-ah councillors have been Mayor of Johannesburg. Kabelo Gwamanda was elected on 5 May 2023, with the backing of the ANC, EFF and smaller parties. He replaced Thapelo Amad, who had resigned a few weeks earlier. Gwamanda resigned in August 2024. Al Jama-ah is part of the ANC-led coalition, the group of parties that run the council. Its councillor Thapelo Amad has been MMC for Community Development since 16 Jan 2026. An MMC is a member of the mayor's team. On 13 Jul 2026, the group of smaller parties in the coalition asked for Kabelo Gwamanda to replace him. But City press releases still named him as MMC in late September 2026. The City's website also listed him on 18 Oct 2026. Al Jama-ah has also brought motions of no confidence in Mayor Morero. A motion of no confidence is a vote to remove the mayor. Two were withdrawn, on 2 Dec 2025 and 29 Jan 2026. A third lapsed, or fell away, on 26 Feb 2026.

City of Cape Town: Our sources do not make this clear. Al Jama-ah won 3 seats in 2021, according to the IEC. We found no source from 2025-2026 on its role in the council, so its role is not confirmed. Its candidate for mayor in 2026 is councillor Shameemah Salie.

eThekwini: Our sources do not make this clear. Al Jama-ah won 1 seat in 2021. In July 2024, IOL listed it among the small parties that the ANC relied on to keep the mayor's post. Each of these parties had one vote. We found no source from 2025-2026 on its role.

Al Jama-ah told the IEC about no donations above the disclosure limit, from July 2025 to June 2026. Checked 20 October 2026.

It has no declared donations in any of the IEC funding reports since April 2021.

Gifts over R100 000 from one donor, named in the reports: None shown. Smaller gifts, R100 000 or less from one donor (names not published): R130 900. Membership fees and levies: R651 169. From the Political Representatives Fund: R5 830 406. From Parliament and provincial legislatures: R4 375 965.

I Ismail-Moosa, an Al Jama-ah MP, said this in Parliament. It was a member's statement, a short speech any MP can make at the start of a sitting. He spoke about Saudi Arabia's national day, where party leader Ganief Hendricks spoke for President Ramaphosa. He means MPs promised, when they took office, to help stop the killing of children in Gaza. He says a court's orders bind Israel. In its own words: “Al Jamah-Ah reminds hon members of this House of their obligation in terms of their oath of office to protect the Palestinian children from genocide”

Ganief Hendricks, the Al Jama-ah leader, said this in a party statement. The United States and Israel had just carried out joint military strikes on Iran. International law is the set of rules countries agree to follow. He means talks between countries should always come before fighting. The party called for the fighting to stop at once and for calm on all sides. In its own words: “Respect for international law and meaningful diplomacy must always trump war.”

Al Jama-ah wrote this about its MP Shameemah Salie. She went to a Cape Town exhibition by Russia's consulate, an office of its government. The post says Russia and South Africa talked about working together in BRICS. BRICS is a group of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The post says these ideas would help build a fairer world with more than one centre of power. It does not say what Al Jama-ah wants South Africa to do. In its own words: “the prospects for cooperation between Russia and the Republic of South Africa within the BRICS framework were discussed, including the creation of an independent payment system and a single currency”

Al Jama-ah wrote this about its leader Ganief Hendricks, who is also a deputy minister. He went to a celebration in Pretoria of 77 years since modern China was founded. The Global South means poorer and developing countries, many in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The party means meeting other countries' officials is part of its work. The post repeats a remark by China's consul general that China is South Africa's largest trading partner. In its own words: “For Al Jama-ah, engagement with international partners forms part of its broader commitment to dialogue, cooperation and South Africa’s role within the Global South.”

Al Jama-ah wrote this after its team met the World Uyghur Congress. The Uyghurs are a Muslim people in western China, and the Congress speaks for them. The Congress told the party about camps in China and limits on practising Islam. The post links the Uyghurs to Palestine, Kashmir and Sudan. It does not say what Al Jama-ah wants South Africa to do about China. In its own words: “Serious concerns were raised surrounding the camps in China where over a million muslims are being detained”

Ganief Hendricks, the Al Jama-ah leader, said this, EWN reported. The US had expelled Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa's ambassador, after he criticised Trump's movement on a podcast. Hendricks was against the expulsion and accused the Trump government of hatred of Muslims. He means other countries will back South Africa, and he hopes the US will change its mind. The article does not say what he wants the government to do. In its own words: “The world will stand with South Africa and its quest for justice, respect for international law, and also heralding in a new civilisation in the hope America will have a change of heart and join the new civilisation.”

Shameemah Salie, an Al Jama-ah MP, said this in a debate in Parliament. The debate was about the US decision to stop aid to South Africa. She thanked foreign donors for their help with health care. But she says relying on them lets them tell South Africa what to do. Al Jama-ah wants the government to spend more on health and hire more health workers. In its own words: “we cannot allow South Africa to become totally dependent on foreign aid all the time.”

Ganief Hendricks, the Al Jama-ah president, said this in a party press release. The party says US sanctions have hurt Cuba for 60 years and were recently made tighter. It says this has left Cubans without electricity and basic goods. Al Jama-ah says such sanctions by one country break international law. It asks South Africans to give food and money, recalling Cuba's help in the freedom struggle. In its own words: “The U.S. must stop its imperialist ventures and interference in the internal affairs of Cuba. We support Cuba’s right to defend its national sovereignty”

Parliament voted on asking the government to close Israel's embassy and cut ties until a ceasefire. Al Jama-ah's one MP, Ganief Hendricks, voted yes, but said the party wanted more. He said the embassy must be "wiped off the face of the earth", and a legal way found to do it. In its own words: “The amendment should have gone further. There is no place for Israel in South Africa, and every trace of Israel must be wiped off our land, South Africa.”

Al Jama-ah said it sees Hamas as a resistance movement against Israel. It praised Riad Fataar, president of the Muslim Judicial Council, who had said he supports Hamas. In its own words: “Al Jama-ah, like many other socio-political and cultural organisations around the globe, recognizes Hamas as a resistance movement against the oppressive rogue Zionist entity”

Al Jama-ah asked Hamas to free all Israeli hostages. Its condition was that Israel stop the war at once and leave Gaza completely. In its own words: “Hamas should release all the Israeli hostages, on condition that Israel immediately ceases the war on Gaza; and withdraws from Gaza entirely.”

Al Jama-ah leaders went to an event of the BDS campaign. BDS asks people to stop buying from, investing in or working with Israel. The party backs this boycott. In its own words: “Honourable Ganief Hendricks, Shireen Ebrahim, Raihaan Pietersen and Cllr Jakes Karolia attended the Palestinian Boycott Program in Erasmia this week.”

Al Jama-ah asked Parliament's Speaker for help to draft a bill, named in its title. Its leader Ganief Hendricks said South Africans who support Israel, MPs included, must face the law. In its own words: ““Israel is an apartheid state and those South Africans – including Parliamentarians–who support it, are therefore complicit and must face the full might of the law,” says Hendricks.”

Al Jama-ah said one of its leaders would lay criminal charges with the police against the nine MPs who visited Israel in 2025. We found no news of what happened next. In its own words: “He will on Monday lay formal criminal charges against the nine MPs, and others who visited the Zionist Israeli entity”

EWN reported that Parliament sent five MPs to Russia in July 2026. One was from Al Jama-ah. The other four were from the ANC. The DA and the MK Party said they were not invited. In its own words: “However, with the exception of one MP from Al Jama-ah, the five-member delegation led by the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane are all from the ANC.”

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Name of Sponsor: President of RIF Republic | Description of Journey: Trip to Algeria | Purpose of Travel: Attended press conference

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Name of Sponsor: Department of Social Development | Description of Journey: Trip to Austria, Vienna | Purpose of Travel: Drug Conference

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Name of Sponsor: RIF Republic | Description of Journey: Brussels, Belgium | Purpose of Travel: Conference

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Name of Sponsor: Department of Social Development | Description of Journey: Rio de Janeiro | Purpose of Travel: Alcohol Conference

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Description: Tie and confectionery | Value: R600 | Source: Iran Embassy

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Description: Visit to Embassy | Value: R1 000.00 | Source: Pakistani High Commission

Hendricks, Mr. Mogamad Ganief Ebrahim. Description: Ornaments | Value: R500 | Source: Venezuela Embassy