Al-Qalam 
Muhammad Cajee, ASRI’s Executive Director, says this will be the first election where a coherent Muslim voting bloc in Gauteng and KZN can shift the balance of power, writes Nabeelah Shaikh.
The Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute (ASRI) is taking proactive steps to encourage all Muslims to head to the ballot boxes and make their mark during South Africa’s national government election next year.
ASRI saw the need for a much-needed voter registration campaign and is calling on all Muslim professionals and the Muslim business community to contribute between R100 and R1000 rand a month to the institute’s Voter Registration and Voter Turnout Campaign, for the elections expected to be held during the first quarter of 2024.
“Our research and analysis tell us that the turnout of voters during the next election will be a pivotal swing factor in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to replace the crooks and avoid both provinces becoming failed provinces in the next five years. The percentage of registered voters whom turnout in 2024 has the power to swing the election, especially in these two provinces, which is the last hope for a substantive reversal of the economic decline in Gauteng and KZN, and by extension the surrounding provinces,” said Muhammad Cajee, ASRI’s Executive Director.
Cajee says some of the published research by the various political parties shows a very strong likelihood of coalition governments in KZN and Gauteng after the 2024 election.
“Voting blocks that are able to turn out a majority of their voters will determine which coalition achieves the majority of votes. For example, if two parties have the support of one million registered voters each, and Party A achieves a 40% turnout of their voters and the other, Party B achieves an 80% turnout. Then the total number of votes cast will be 1 200 000 but Party B will achieve a 66% proportional representation because they were able to turn out their 800 000 voters in their favour, versus 400 000 for Party A,” explained Cajee.
Importance
He said the 2024 election will be a point of no return for both provinces and the Muslim vote was of great importance.
“This is the first election where a coherent Muslim voting bloc in Gauteng and KZN can shift the balance of the election one way or the other, which gives a coherent Muslim voting bloc significant influence during the election. This voting bloc does not exist if every Muslim of voting age is not registered to vote. Who this bloc votes for is a debate we can all have in January on our WhatsApp groups, masjid groups, and community groups, once we all registered to vote,” said Cajee.
Considering that voter registration can now take place online on the IEC website, ASRI’s funds raised through the campaign will go towards purchasing cheap phones and contracting paid staff to register Muslim voters outside of masjids, in high schools and shopping malls, and online over the next six months.
“The majority of citizens in Gauteng and KZN want change but they have to be registered to vote to make it count on Election Day. We appeal to you to activate a recurring monthly online payment on your internet banking of between R100 and R1000 a month and join the campaign by encouraging as many friends, family members, and colleagues to do the same. ASRI is a registered Non-Profit Company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission. It is also a registered Public Benefit Organisation with SARS. We will issue an 18A tax certificate on request. It will only take a few minutes of your time,” said Cajee.
He said time was of great importance, and the voter registration campaign has to start now.
“Voter registration closes closer to the election and then it will be too late. Every vote will count in these two provinces. Five thousand funders at R100 a month each will give us a R500 000 a month war chest to ensure that we’re ready with as many voters as possible when the election comes,” said Cajee.
He called on Muslim professionals and the business community to act with urgency.
“We have a window of three-six months before the end of the year. Next year will be too late to build a formidable voting bloc in both Gauteng and KZN. We’ve already started the campaign by asking for donations towards the campaign. We need 5000 committed donations of between R100 and R1000 per month to adequately fund this campaign, to ensure that we have a significant war chest of funding to remove the crooks at the ballot box in 2024,” said Cajee.
Cajee says he believes a campaign of this nature, has great potential to effect significant change.
“In politics, there are only two levers of change and influence – money and constituency being the votes. The very strong likelihood for coalition governments in Gauteng and KZN means that in 2024 every vote counts and change in government is very possible in these two provinces,” said Cajee.
He said it is really unfathomable that during the riots in Durban we had doctors, lawyers, businessmen, academics, shopkeepers, and factory workers, patrolling the streets with guns and baseball bats protecting their families and neighbourhoods.
“If we don’t believe in change in 2024, then we really should be looking at relocating, because these two provinces are heading down the slippery path of economic decline and it will bring with it social instability if we can’t deliver a change of government in 2024,” said Cajee.
Mashallah keep going