Local – Executive member of the Sunni Jamiat Ulema, Moulana Mohammed Tariq, explained that the reason his organisation is pursuing legal action against the South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) is due to its controversial new approach to Hajj facilitation, which he says is unconstitutional and lacks transparency.
SAHUC recently announced plans to remove licensed local travel operators from the Hajj process, taking complete control of coordination.
The Sunni Jamiat Ulema (SJU), a long-standing member of SAHUC’s National General Council, argues that this decision was made without proper consultation or legal authority to act on behalf of South African Muslims.
Moulana Tariq stressed that this was not a personal feud but an effort to protect the interests of the Muslim community. He explained that uncertainty over the future of Hajj and Umrah has left many Muslims anxious.
“We are not here to fight and no personal grievances, but obviously to represent the mass Muslims of South Africa… people are very worried and wondering what the future holds regarding their Hajj and Umrah,” he said.
The SJU believes that SAHUC has shifted away from its original purpose as a regulatory body intended to make the Hajj more efficient and accessible.
Tariq argued that SAHUC’s plan to take complete control of Hajj operations transforms it into a commercial entity with unchecked power. He criticised the move, drawing an analogy to sports to highlight the conflict of interest.
“You can’t be the team player and also the referee… now you are taking a different dimension of the entire thing and more of a business expedition that is going to take place,” Tariq explained.
According to Tariq, the SJU was prompted to seek legal counsel after being inundated with calls from concerned members of the public. Following consultations with representatives and attorneys, the organisation decided to challenge SAHUC’s actions formally.
“We were inundated with many calls… our executive had a meeting, we consulted with our representative on SAHUC, and then we took legal advice… today is the time for them to give us an answer,” he said.
Tariq also raised questions about the legitimacy of SAHUC’s mandate to act as a commercial operator for Hajj services. He insisted that such decisions require transparency, public involvement, and proof of proper authorisation.
“They don’t have the mandate to represent the masses of South Africa… bring this mandate forward and show us… Everything there must be transparency and accountability,” he said.
He warned that if SAHUC does not provide an adequate response, the SJU will have no choice but to take the matter to court.
“If they don’t answer us… Our decision is that we should go forward with the legal battle in terms of interdicting and stopping this process,” he stated.
