The Muslim Judicial Halal Trust (MJCHT) believes the Western Cape Governments’ one billion rand investment into the Halal Industry should be celebrated as it will build a much needed bridge between the local Muslim community and the international Halal industry. Local government recently announced a plan to build a Halal agri-processing food park in Cape Town as part of the province’s Project Khulisa growth strategy. The first of its kind in South Africa, the park will unlock the doors to internationally sourced halal foods in majority Muslim countries in the Middle East, Asia and North Africa where the world’s largest Muslim population resides. In addition, local halal-compliant food suppliers will also be afforded the opportunity to directly export their products to the international Muslim community.

MJCHT chairperson Sheikh Achmat Sedick explained that this food park will also assist government in creating jobs in the province and be run strictly with an Islamic ethos. However, Sedick said the “halal food hub” will not be exclusive to Muslim business owners alone.

“This agri-processing food park will be open to all South Africans however, only if their businesses are halal compliant. That is where the halal certification also plays a major role. We are bringing about awareness on the standard needed for businesses to receive the halal certification. We are planning a national campaign to ensure that these standards are the same at halal bodies throughout the country,” Sedick explained.

MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde said government aimed to tap into the global halal market, which is reportedly worth 2.3 trillion Dollars.

Currently, the park is still in its planning phase and local government, along with the Malaysian government, Western Fine Food Initiative and the MJCHT are meeting to finalise the plans.

South African National Halal Authority (SANHA) public relations officer (PRO), Ebi Lockhat says he is glad the Western Cape government moved so swiftly on the idea of the park. Lockhat explained to VOC News that in Gauteng, a park much like the one to be launched in Cape Town, is still being discussed.

While the halal food park is considered to be a relatively new project of its kind, many other Muslim countries around the world have successfully established similar projects of their own.

“The idea is to create a community within the halal industry,” said Lockhat.

Lockhat explained that there are many other successful halal food parks already established in other parts of the world.

Some members of the religious fraternity have however criticised the initiative. Speaking off the record, one such member questioned whether this food hub is a way in which government plans to capitalise on the halal market.

In response, Lockhat explained that there are people tapping into the market and some are not joining for the love of Islam.

“If we sit on the side-lines and say that there are non-Muslim people coming into the market for profit. It is time our entrepreneurs capture the market for the “Prophet” factor and capitalise on it. But if we do not make that effort to capture that market, we cannot be prejudice on those who want to feed the Muslim community,” Lockhat added.

According to discussions within the meetings on the food park, Sedick said that the Cape Town International Airport has been put forward as a proposed location. VOC (Ra’eesah Isaacs)