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“NEVER MARRIED” ON DEATH CERTIFICATES OF MUSLIMS IS INSULTING

“NEVER MARRIED” ON DEATH CERTIFICATES OF MUSLIMS IS INSULTING

The AL JAMA-AH party is disappointed that the Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision not to remove the insulting entry on the death certificate of Muslim women married for 40 years and more.

The Party’s leader in Parliament, Hon Ganief Hendricks submitted a Parliamentary written question to the Minister with the request for the Nikah, a formal binding contract according to Muslim rites, be recognised by the same legislation that recognises African customary marriages.
In response to the party’s question, Motshoaledi stated that, “the government has no powers to have Muslim marriages legalised through the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act. The Customary marriages are regulated by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998, which provides for requirements for a valid customary marriage and registration thereof.”

The Minister’s reply is nothing new to how the previous apartheid government viewed Muslim marriages or the Nikah ceremony performed by an authentic Imam recognised the Muslim religious bodies. Hendricks expressed disappointment that the Minister did not show leadership in granting the Party’s request. The Party views it as the most insensitive response to not only grieving Muslim women, but also women from the Jewish and Hindu faiths.

“The Minister had the opportunity to soften the blow to remove this blot on the ruling Party who failed many women since it took power. Harming the dignity of women is a legacy of successive Presidents of South Africa and the Ministers of Home Affairs. The Ministers of Justice can certainly be proud of judges who have gone out of their way to state a Nikah is a valid marriage,” he said.

“Women cannot have a final view of their husbands after a Covid-19 death and all they have is a death certificate which states, “never married”. How insensitive and cruel after many years of marriage. The Minister has thrashed court judgements to speed up legislation but contradicts himself to settle matters after 5 or more years thereby continuing to insult Muslim, Hindu and Jewish women,” Hendricks explained.

He had previously raised the matter in Parliament to have the Nikah Bill tabled and legalised under the country’s Customary marriages bill. “The Nikah Bill was shoved to the background for many years, and several legal representations were made by Muslim bodies, including myself, since 1994, and even during the apartheid years.”

“The appeal for the recognition of Muslim marriages were supported by former Justice Minister Dullah Omar and other Muslim Parliamentarians including Minister Naledi Pandor and ANC member Ebrahim Rasool. The Muslim communities throughout South Africa demand answers from parliament,” Hendricks said.

The ANC headquarters, Luthuli House with the support of former President Jacob Zuma requested AL JAMA-AH to prepare a Muslim Private Bill. The Party is in the process of preparing a Bill and we are calling on the ANC to deliver on its promises and to stop harming the dignity of women.
Hendricks said Islam is the second biggest religion in South Africa and the non-recognition to Muslim marriages continued to cause extreme difficulties to the surviving spouse and children to claim their rights to benefit. He described the current status quo on Muslim Marriages as an insult to the Muslim community.

He questioned why Muslim marriages were not recognised under customary law, and what the reasons were for not recognising Muslim marriages, by the same legislation recognising African customary marriages.

“Al Jama-ah represents the aspirations of more than a million South African Muslims to have their marriages legalised. Muslim marriages were outrightly outlawed under the apartheid legislation, and we expect to be afforded a sympathetic response,” he exclaimed.

AL JAMA-AH KwaZulu-Natal PR Councillor, Moulana Asghar Khan said theologians representing Muslim religious bodies must be recognised as arbitrary bodies with regards to Muslim marriages and its consequences. “Muslims in this country after 26 years of democracy have the fundamental right for their marriages to be lawfully recognised,” he said.

Team 24 Fighting Against Coronavirus

Team 24 Fighting Against Coronavirus

Team24 fighting against Coronavirus

  • Team 24 is a newly established fight back team within Aljama-ah aimed at coming to the aid of people during the Coronavirus epidemic. Councillor Faried Achmat and his team 24 have been working around the clock to assist the vulnerable during this lock down. Councillor Achmat Hendricks is heading up the hotlines.
  • Team 24 also consists of councillors in five municipalities throughout South Africa, each with their own hotlines.
  • The first port of call for help is the nearest Constituency officer and then the 24/7 hotline.
  • Aljama-ah is working around the clock to implement an online video -training and development course to empower members of their Team-24 to understand the regulations which changes from day-to-day.
  • This enables them to assist basically workers on no-work-no-pay, and small businesses which were operating as from 28 February 2021.
  • The long-term objective is the Party’s helpdesk will assist newly-emerged small businesses to access grants up to R2,5-million.

 

Roundup of the activism of Team 24

  • The appointment of a Covid-19-trained senior nurse at the Al Jama-ah Parliamentary National Constituency Office has boosted efforts of Parliament to reach out to communities surrounding our constituency offices.
  • The nurse will, in addition,  head the Occupational Health Centre for the Party’s staffers.  The occupational health service (OHS ) was launched to keep us safe and put in place a respiratory facility as a life saving measure for Team 24 members.
  • Team 24 has established a training and development programme to assist people to access Covid UIF benefits and relief assistance to small businesses.
  • Ganief Hendricks has partnered with school principal, Mahdie Samodien and Al JAMA-AH National Executive member Faizel Khan.
  • AL JAMA-AH’s secretary general, cllr. Faried Achmat will lead the campaign team and act as the spokesperson. The Constituency offices will be managed by 12 hotlines as councillors and staff, described as the “Heart of Team 24” will be supported by a media team.
  • Radio Jeem is on radar largely to reach the public on how to access benefits relating to lock down and coping with anxiety.
  • After hours, there is a hot-line in place under the leadership of councilor, Achmat Hendricks who is based in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain.
  • Telehealth counseling is available by psychologists and social work counseling is available by our social worker at half price by Team 24. People are welcome to call the hot line number. Counseling by a nurse and Parliamentary Constituency officers will be free.
  • Team-24 also came to the rescue of high school learners by arranging extramural lessons, especially on Grade 12 learners who are compelled to stay home now that the national education department announced a further stay-at-home period.
  • Al Jama-ah sent out volunteers into the communities nationwide to educate the public on the dangers of the Coronavirus before the lock down began. All volunteers are given intensive online training so that they are aware of the health hazards when dealing with the corona virus when they go into the communities.
  • The volunteers conducted house visits and handed out small bottles of hand sanitizers, pamphlets and related material on the dangers of the corona virus.

In South Africa’s capital city Pretoria in the central part of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Aljama-ah has provided basic essentials, such as groceries and toilet paper to several child-headed households.