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UMSC Hosts South African National Halaal Authority Officials

23 August, 2023
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His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, the 2nd Deputy Mufti has Moulana Mohammed Saeed Navlakhi, the Theological Director of the South African National Halaal Authority and his Assistant, Moulana Haamid Mulla on behalf of His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda.


The duo’s visit to the UMSC Headquarters was coordinated by the Uganda Halal Bureau (UHB), a private Muslim organization involved in the certification of Halal products. The two officials visited Uganda to discuss their partnership with the Uganda Halal Bureau and coordination on Halal programs. This partnership was initiated after UHB expressed interest in exporting products to South Africa, which required certification according to Halal standards.

Moulana Navlakhi explained the background of their collaboration with the Uganda Halal Bureau. He mentioned that during their initial visit to Uganda, they became aware of the Uganda Halal Bureau's role in ensuring the consumption of permissible animals and birds by the Muslim community. He noted that they observed certain deficiencies in slaughterhouses that needed to be addressed to fully realize the concept of Halal and its focus on safety and quality of products.

"We had an opportunity of being taken on a guided tour of some abattoirs and we got assured and reliably informed that from time immemorial, it is the responsibility of Muslims to slaughter permissible animals and birds for public consumption," Moulana Navlakhi remarked. 

Counsel Haj Muhammad Ali Aluma, the UMSC Secretary General, provided a historical overview of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council and highlighted its organizational structure, including the administrative units responsible for Halal matters. He acknowledged the upcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UMSC and the Uganda Halal Bureau to promote the Halal concept in Uganda.

Mr. Abdul-Hakim Sekandi, speaking on behalf of the Uganda Halal Bureau, emphasized UMSC's role as the mother body and confirmed the imminent signing of the MOU to promote the Halal concept in the country. Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa expressed gratitude for the visit and praised the South African Muslims as role models, not only in Halal practices but also in their high level of creation of Awqaf (endowment) that has contributed to the development of Islam. 

He called for closer collaboration in areas such as capacity building and resources mobilization for the Halal industry. The event was attended by various UMSC officers, including Mr. Sinan Abdu Nsenye, the UMSC Secretary for Finance and Planning, Sheikh Abdul-Karim Abdallah Katamba, the Director of Halal, and other department members.


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