President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the Muslim community on Wednesday evening for their volunteer work in their community and South Africa.

“I have seen it‚ I have felt it‚ I have heard it and I have often touched it‚ because when I see the Muslim community at work‚ advancing the interests of people who are less off‚ particularly as you think of them so deeply and so completely during Ramadan‚ I am always so deeply‚ deeply impressed‚” he said.

Ramaphosa addressed the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) on Wednesday in Cape Town for the Ramadan iftar‚ hosted by president Shaykh Irfaan Abrahams. Iftar is the evening meal at which Muslims break their daily fast.

Ramaphosa urged the Muslim community to support and join the ANC‚ saying that the Muslim community was joined at the hip with the “fortunes” of the ANC.

“We know that you too have been deeply pained that the ANC is no longer the governing party in the province. We aim to change that.”

Ramaphosa said the party wanted to stop the “apartheid spatial planning” and gentrification in Cape Town by returning District Six‚ Bokaap‚ to its former glory.

“We are making good progress together with the Muslim Judicial Council and the land claimants from Macassar to resolve the outstanding land claims.”

Ramaphosa said Police Minister Bheki Cele was working on a new strategy to fight gangsterism and drugs in the Western Cape.

“Gangsters‚ watch out. Because we are coming after you.”

Ramaphosa also condemned religious extremism.

“South Africa should never be a place where extremists find fertile ground amongst our young people and amongst any of us.”