Al Jama-ah (ALJAMA)

Founded: 2007.

Al Jama-ah was established in 2007 by its leader Ganief Hendricks and presents itself as "A Platform for All Communities", drawing on Islamic values. Its 2024 manifesto sets out programmes on poverty, jobs, local economic development, municipal services, free primary health care and ward-level budgets. The party holds seats in Parliament, provincial legislatures and municipalities, and has taken part in coalition governments, including in Johannesburg.

Official website: https://www.aljama.co.za/

Not yet reviewed by a human. These positions were placed by reading the sources below; each one links to the document it came from.

11 of 15 axes have a cited position. Axes without a published position are marked as such and are never scored.

Positions

Economy: state or market — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Land reform and expropriation — -1.50

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.Strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.

Expropriation with nil compensation, in line with the new law, is at the forefront of our fight to protect the rights of our people and ensure they receive their rightful share of the land.

Landmark Step Towards Land Reform and Economic Redress (party_document, 2025-01-25; accessed 2026-10-18)

BEE and race-based redress — -0.75

Race-based redress expanded: BEE, employment equity and ownership targets enforced.Race-based redress phased out or replaced by non-racial, class-based or need-based measures.

Leaning towards: race-based redress expanded: bee, employment equity and ownership targets enforced.

Al Jama-ah says it totally rejects the demands made by US ambassador to Pretoria, Leo Brent Bozell that Washington expects a foreign policy shift from South Africa (referring to South Africa’s relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran) and to scrap the broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BEEE) or to allow exemptions for US firms.

Al Jama-ah rejects call to scrap B-BBEE (party_document, 2026-03-07; accessed 2026-10-18)

Labour market — -1.25

Strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.Flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

Leaning towards: strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.

The party however is of the view that inflation plus 1% per hour must improve to inflation plus 5% to close the gap for a decent wage. Al Jama-ah would like to further see domestic workers receive social benefits such as a funeral scheme, medical aid, and provident fund.

Al Jama-ah welcomes the salary increase of domestic workers on par with National Minimum Wage (party_document, 2022-01-06; accessed 2026-10-18)

Healthcare and NHI — -1.50

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.Private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.

Al Jama-ah has reaffirmed its strong support for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), describing it as a critical step towards achieving equitable and dignified healthcare access for all South Africans.

Al Jama-ah Reaffirms Strong Support for National Health Insurance (NHI) (party_document, 2026-05-07; accessed 2026-10-18)

Education — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Crime and policing — -1.00

Enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.Prevention-first: community policing, restorative justice, and civil-liberties safeguards.

Leaning towards: enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.

Crime remains a headache; it is big problem for us all and the police presence is invisible; this should change.

Al Jama-ah Manifesto 2024 , Demand 8: Put in place safety and security measures (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Immigration — +1.50

Restrictive: tighter borders, limits on foreign nationals, deportation of undocumented migrants.Open: freer movement, rights for migrants, and regional integration.

Leaning towards: open: freer movement, rights for migrants, and regional integration.

... the President of AL JAMA-AH, Honorable Ganief Hendricks, MP, has formally written to His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of Mandela Day, urging the presidency to back a compassionate, constitutionally sound, and legally vetted amnesty proposal for undocumented foreign nationals in South Africa.

Al Jama-ah calls for Historic Mandela Day Amnesty Proposal For Undocumented Migrants (party_document, 2026-07-15; accessed 2026-10-18)

Energy and climate — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Federalism and devolution — -1.25

Centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.Devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

Leaning towards: centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.

The party will submit motions to Parliament to centralise service delivery projects and grants allocated to the Metro and WCPP.

Al Jama-ah to deploy “anti-devolution protection officers” in Western Cape (party_document, 2022-11-14; accessed 2026-10-18)

Traditional leadership — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Social values — -1.50

Conservative: law reflects religious or traditional morality, with narrower reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.Liberal: secular law, with expanded gender, reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

Conservative: law reflects religious or traditional morality, with narrower reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

Al Jama-ah calls on government to dismiss any proposals by LGBTQI+ community from being included in the revised White Paper on Family Life; the basic reason is that the group wants to deliberately redefine family according to its definition.

Al Jama-ah tells LGBTQI+ groups to stop forcing its practices on society (party_document, 2023-06-07; accessed 2026-10-18)

Foreign policy — -1.50

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.Western-aligned: closer ties with the United States, the European Union and other liberal democracies.

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.

We, as the former apartheid oppressed community, dislike and reject any form of oppression wherever it may be around the globe; and we definitely stand against Zionist Israel’s occupation of and brutal repression of the people of Palestine.

Making a Definite Stand vs all forms of Zionism (party_document, 2023-05-23; accessed 2026-10-18)

Anti-corruption and governance — -1.00

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.Smaller state machinery: fewer new bodies and regulations, with corruption handled through existing criminal law and the courts.

Leaning towards: expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.

In his address, Cllr Dalwai called for immediate amendments to the relevant sections of the SCM Policy to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the City’s procurement processes.

Press Statement from Al Jama-ah: Cllr Advocate Yusuf Khan Dalwai Calls for Urgent Amendments to the City of Cape Town’s Supply Chain Management Policy (party_document, 2025-01-30; accessed 2026-10-18)

Local service delivery — +0.50

Centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.Municipal self-reliance: councils and communities decide, with private or community providers used where they work better.

Between the two poles

Al Jama-ah wants every Ward across the country to have its own budget to reduce the apartheid-era inequalities between historically white suburbs and the townships all over the country.

Al Jama-ah Manifesto 2024 , Demand 10: Secure budgets for every ward (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)