Al-Qalam 
Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks. (Photo: Karabo Mafolo)
By Al-Qalam Reporter
The Al Jama-ah party has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to supply defensive weapons to Palestinian resistance forces.
In its debate on SONA, Ganief Hendricks, MP and leader of Al Jama-ah, said SONA had failed to address the Occupation of Palestine and how South Africa should be lending meaningful support to the suffering nation occupied by Israel.
“The Palestinians facilitated weapons for our liberation movements. In fact, I was in Libya when these plans were hatched. We would have liked to have heard nothing less than sending weapons to the Palestinians and to ban South Africans from serving in the Israeli Defence Force,” said Hendricks.
In other matters affecting mainly Muslim communities, Hendricks addressed the delays by government structures to process the Recognition of Muslim Marriage Bill. He said the recognition of Muslim marriages will bring back the dignity of Muslim wives, who are described as ‘whores’ and their children as ‘bastards’.
Hendricks said the Competition Control Board is failing Muslim pilgrims who must pay exorbitant travelling fees and visa applications to undertake the holy pilgrimage, Hajj.
“The Department of International Relations has turned a blind eye by allowing an NGO to usurp Parliament’s role to approve the signing of international Hajj agreements. South African pilgrims must pay an NGO just under R2000 for a visa, which is absurd,” says Hendricks.
Other matters raised in his response to SONA is the President’s failure to give support to the United Nations Convention on tax to get Africa out of poverty; and Muslims struggle to have mosques built in areas where they live.
However, the party applauded the announcement of several government programmes to create jobs and substantial support to small businesses.
