The Muslim vote and connecting the dots between potholes and Gaza
The United Ulama Council (UUCSA) Municipal Elections Indaba was convened to discuss local government elections in Johannesburg from June 8 to 10. AHMED KAJEE attended the event and reports on some key insights.
Conceived as a response to growing concerns around civic participation, political representation and the need for a structured Muslim voice ahead of the 2026 local government elections, the three-day gathering brought together key stakeholders. They included ulama, business leaders, professionals, civil society representatives and community stakeholders who engaged political parties on a Muslim Civic Consensus Draft Discussion Document developed through a two-year consultation process.
The document seeks to articulate both the broader societal concerns shared by South Africans and the issues specific to Muslim communities. Developed through surveys, stakeholder consultations and research, it was designed as a framework for civic engagement and advocacy ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Representatives of major political parties, including the ANC, DA, EFF, Rise Mzansi and Al Jama-ah, participated in structured engagements around issues ranging from youth unemployment, corruption and crime to online gambling, service delivery failures, public infrastructure, economic inclusion, heritage preservation and Gaza.
Over the three days, discussions centred on many of the priorities identified in the document. These included youth unemployment, corruption, crime, public infrastructure, service delivery, public health and economic participation, alongside Muslim-specific concerns such as Islamophobia, online gambling, financial de-risking of Muslim organisations, heritage preservation and Palestine. Delegates also explored issues such as housing, climate resilience, municipal governance, procurement transparency, crime in which Muslim-owned businesses are targeted, Islamic finance and the preservation of Muslim heritage sites.
The engagements were conducted under the Chatham House Rule, allowing participants to discuss issues candidly while preventing the attribution of specific comments or positions to individual parties. Therefore this report reflects the themes and priorities raised rather than party-specific responses.
The discussions highlighted a central theme of the indaba: how Muslim voters reconcile everyday governance concerns such as service delivery, crime and infrastructure with broader questions of justice, identity and morality.
Yet, among the many issues discussed, one debate stood out: what place do international issues and broader questions of morality have in a process centred on municipal elections?
Palestine looms large
Responding to a question from Muslim Views, Maulana Sulaimaan Ravat, head of the United Ulama Council of South Africa’s (UUCSA) Political Strategy Committee, acknowledged that delegates themselves had grappled with whether issues such as Palestine and foreign policy belonged in a local government discussion.
‘These are issues of justice. These are issues of morality,’ he said.
The debate emerged because many of the concerns contained in the Muslim Civic Consensus document extend beyond the immediate responsibilities of municipalities. While local government is responsible for roads, refuse removal, electricity, water provision and local infrastructure, issues such as Palestine, Islamophobia and broader national policy concerns continue to shape the political outlook of many Muslim voters. According to Maulana Ravat, delegates considered whether such matters should feature in a municipal elections indaba at all.
More than potholes
The conclusion reached by participants was not that local government issues should take a back seat, but that for many Muslim voters, political choices are shaped by both service delivery concerns and broader questions of justice and morality.
‘There are those who say that even at local government level, there’s an element of trust. And if someone is on the wrong side of justice-related issues, then I’m going to have a problem putting my X next to their name, even if they’re very good at sorting out potholes and electricity and water and whatever else.’ For Maulana Ravat, that sentiment captures one of the central questions facing Muslim voters ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The observation also points to a broader question about political participation within the Muslim community. Elections are often framed as a transactional exercise in which voters assess who can deliver services most effectively. Yet discussions at the Indaba suggested that many voters also evaluate political parties through the lens of ethics, justice and values.
The civic compass
The Muslim Civic Consensus document itself reflects this balancing act.
Alongside concerns about youth unemployment, corruption, crime, public infrastructure, economic participation and service delivery, the document addresses online gambling, public health, Palestine, Islamophobia, financial de-risking of Muslim organisations, heritage preservation and a range of regional priorities.
In the Western Cape, for example, heritage preservation emerged as a significant concern, including the protection of Bo-Kaap as a historic Muslim cultural precinct facing ongoing development pressures. Other priorities raised through the consultation process included the deterioration of public infrastructure, the preservation of Muslim heritage sites, economic opportunities for young people and measures to address corruption and crime.
Rather than treating local and global concerns as mutually exclusive, the document attempts to place them within a single civic framework, arguing that Muslims have a stake in both the practical realities of governance and the broader moral questions shaping society.
The process behind the document was equally significant. According to organisers, the Indaba formed part of a broader effort to encourage structured and informed civic participation within the Muslim community. The initiative sought to move beyond reactive politics and create a platform through which community leaders could engage directly with political parties on policy matters.
‘Let’s work together to ensure that when it comes to civic participation and political engagement, that we are proactive, we are structured, we are professional, we are focused, and we are solution-driven,’ said Maulana Ravat.
Engagement or endorsement?
That approach also meant engaging political parties whose positions on certain issues have drawn criticism from sections of the Muslim community.
For organisers, however, participation was not intended as an endorsement of any party or its policies.
‘It was never about giving anyone a free pass. It was never about being apologetic, but it was about being constructive in the manner that we engaged,’ said Maulana Ravat.
Addressing criticism around engaging parties whose positions on issues such as Palestine have been contested by some Muslims, Maulana Ravat argued that dialogue and accountability were more productive than disengagement. ‘Allowing them an audience is not tantamount to being apologetic or sympathetic or in any way kind of lenient on where we find their views to be problematic,’ he said.
The objective, organisers said, was not to secure agreement on every issue, but to create a platform where concerns could be raised directly and where political parties could be held accountable for commitments made during the process.
UUCSA President Maulana Abdul Khaliq Allie said the process demonstrated that political parties had engaged a broad cross-section of the Muslim community.
‘They would leave from here with a positive message that they have engaged not only a sector of the Muslim community, but they have engaged the broader Muslim community in South Africa.’
For Maulana Ravat, one of the most important outcomes of the process was that political parties made commitments that can now be measured against future actions.
For organisers, accountability was one of the central objectives of the process.