|
1. What or who is SANHA?
• SANHA stands for the South African National Halaal Authority.
• SANHA aims for the highest standards as governed by Qur'aanic injunctions and the Sunnah.
• SANHA is a community based non-profit organisation.
• SANHA administers the Halaal Industry primarily keeping the Muslim Consumer at heart. 2. Why was SANHA established?
• SANHA was established primarily to unify the processes of certification and monitoring.
• Remember, the Halaal Food Industry does not start and end with meat and poultry products. It extends over the entire range of products from food to pharmaceuticals, from additives to preservatives, from source to you the Muslim Consumer.
• To eradicate confusion by providing accurate information on Halaal and Haraam.
• To educate and inform the Muslim Consumer about Halaal / Haraam
• It was also recognised that the market in South Africa would be changing quite dramatically as deregulation was underway and the post-sanction economy would be faced with a flood of imported products into South Africa.
• To secure the Muslim Consumer’s rights to consume Halaal products and thereby protecting their Imân.
• To improve the accessibility and variety of Halaal products.
• Deregulation of the Meat Industry and removal of sanctions in a post Apartheid South Africa meant that the simple controls on a regional basis were insufficient.
3. Does SANHA make a profit from Halaal Food Certification?
• No, SANHA is a non-profit making organisation – charges made are commensurate with costs.
• SANHA is the ONLY Halaal certifying organisation that provides full accountability and transparency to the Muslim Consumer. Annual accounts are published and distributed at SANHA’s Annual General Meetings. So you can check exactly what is SANHA’s income and expenditure. Which other organisation that certify in the Halaal Food Industry will allow you to check their income and expenditure statement. Which other organisations disclose their financial position?
• Muslim consumers have full access to ALL information pertaining to the operation of SANHA.
4. What fees does SANHA charge for certification?
• Fees charged are commensurate with costs. Application Fee is R 75,00 plus VAT.
• Any surpluses are used to educate, inform and administer the certification process or used to reduce fees in the next financial period.
5. How is SANHA ACCOUNTABLE / TRANSPARENT?
• Publication of full audited accounts annually.
• Information of SANHA operations available to all Muslims.
• Clear disclosure as to which products / businesses are certified by SANHA.
• Regular announcements of SANHA’s findings in the Halaal Food Industry.
• Regular information flow via the press and media.
• Establishment of a Muslim Consumer Council.
6. What standards does SANHA employ in its certifying process?
• SANHA employs the highest possible standards so that it’s criteria is acceptable to all Muslims.
• A cross-section of Ulama of South Africa have had an input into the Theological standards of SANHA including Shafi’i’ Ulama, Hanafi Ulama and Ulama of Sunni & other schools of thought.
7. Which Ulama / Islamic bodies are represented on SANHA?
• Central Islamic Trust
• Darul Waqaf
• Eastern Cape Ulama Council
• Jamiatul Ulama - KwaZulu Natal
• Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal
• Majlisud Da’wah wal Islaah
• Northern Cape Halaal Board
8. Which business / professional organisations are members of SANHA?
• Association of Muslim Schools
• Association of Lawyers and Attorneys
• Cape Muslim Butchers Association
• Durban Muslim Traders Association
• Gauteng Halaal Traders Association
• Islamic Medical Association
• Minara Chamber of Commerce.
• South African Muslim Restaurants Association
9. Does SANHA favour non-Muslim businesses over Muslim Businesses?
• No, SANHA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, colour or financial standing.
• SANHA evaluates the importance of any application with respect to the needs of the Muslim Consumer / Muslim Ummah as a whole. It does not operate to protect the narrow interest of a few, no matter who they are.
• SANHA is not financially beholden to any individual or organisation. It can therefore act truly independently of any pressure from vested interests.
10. How does the Muslim consumer benefit from SANHA?
• Full information on SANHA certified products / businesses.
• Creating awareness of Halaal /Haraam issues.
• Educating and informing the Muslim Ummah on Halaal / Haraam issues.
• Rigorously enforcing the highest standards
• Exposing bogus use of Halaal certification.
• Getting other certifying bodies to improve standards.
11. Who are the organisations that have resigned from SANHA?
• Muslim Meat Traders Association, Durban
• Northern KwaZulu Natal Muslim Butchers Association
• Independent Halaal Trust
• Port Elizabeth Uitenhage Muslim Butchers Association
• Pietermaritzburg Muslim Butchers Association
• Sunni Jamiatul Ulama
• Witwatersrand Muslim Butchers Association
12. Why have the Business organisations resigned?
• SANHA is not a vehicle for self-gain nor for protecting narrow interests – it is designed to serve the Muslim Ummah as a whole.
• Some organisations wanted to "control" SANHA and to use it to protect their businesses. They did not want, for example, SANHA to certify I & J and Robertson’s. This would have been at the expense of the Muslim Consumer as practically every Muslim household uses products from these companies. Would it be correct for SANHA to refrain from certification because it may affect the narrow interests of a few?
• Some organisations refused to handover plants certified by their organisations despite unanimous resolutions of the SANHA executive to which they themselves were party. It would seem the certification process was / is very lucrative for their organisations and hence their reluctance. Note: None of these organisations have ever accounted to you, the Muslim Ummah, in respect of neither these funds nor how they are utilised. Have you ever wondered why?
• They refuse to give full accountability to the Muslim consumer, to the Muslim Ummah or to anyone else – why?
• SANHA was and is increasing the accessibility and variety of Halaal Food stores and products for the benefit of the Muslim Ummah as a whole. This was perceived to be a threat to the operations of these organisations and their individual businesses. Is it really a threat to anyone for SANHA to certify Rainbow Chickens, Robertson’s or I&J? After all, were not these very same companies being certified before by another certifying body? Curious to note that these resigning organisations did not complain to that body over the years.
13. How will these resignations affect SANHA?
• Resignations of the Meat Traders will not, Insha Allâh, affect the running of SANHA.
• SANHA’s membership base is broad and we encourage more Muslim organisations to join.
• Due to the resignations, the Meat Trader organisations have been pressurising abattoirs to deregister with SANHA and be certified by the Meat Traders. Clearly it is an attempt to stifle SANHA and its growth as there is no added value beyond that. The success that is SANHA is only dependent on Allâh Subhânahu Wa Ta’ala.
14. Why was an Arbitration Committee set-up?
• The Arbitration Committee compromising of Moulana AR Gardee, Akhtar Thokan, Ebrahim Patel, Aboo Khan, and Attorney Mia Loonat was established in September 1999 to investigate the grievances of the Meat Butcher Associations and other members on SANHA against each other.
15. What were the findings of the Arbitration Committee Report published in September 2000?
• The Arbitration Committee Report concludes as follows:
• "The achievement that is SANHA cannot be allowed to fail. The dedication of so many of your people is a cause for pride for the entire Ummah. The task now is to infuse the people and the systems… with value and commitment to their declared ideal. When organisations merge on a common platform, they can achieve the impossible." – Arbitration Committee Report – Page 34
16. Who are the other certifying bodies in South Africa?
• Muslim Judicial Council
• Islamic Council of South Africa
• Witwatersrand Muslim Butchers Association
• Independent Halaal Trust
17. What differentiates SANHA from other Halaal certifying organisations?
• SANHA belongs to you the Muslim Ummah.
• SANHA operates strictly on the principles of the Shari’ah.
• SANHA follows a strict code of conduct in certification.
• SANHA is a non-profit making organisation.
• SANHA is a representative organisation and is open to all other Muslim organisations to join.
• SANHA’s membership is not exclusive. It encourages participation by Muslim organisations and consumers.
• SANHA is transparent and accountable.
• SANHA makes public its income and expenditure.
• SANHA publishes its findings.
• SANHA is accessible to the Muslim Consumer.
18. How is SANHA funded?
• SANHA is funded through licensing fees levied upon its clients and through the goodwill donations from the Muslim Community. At the outset it had an interest free loan from Al Barakah Bank which SANHA is still in the process of paying back.
• It is with the help of Allah Subhânahu Wa Ta’ala self funding and therefore totally independent from undue influence.
19. What is SANHA doing at the global level for the Muslim Consumer?
• SANHA is among the co-ordinating members for the establishment of a World Halaal Council in conjunction with the national certifying bodies in Malaysia and Indonesia.
• The world has become a global village. It has become essential to identify bona-fide organisations World Wide who subscribe to a common uniform standard, thereby simplifying the identification process of imported Halaal products through reciprocal arrangements.
20. What can I, as a Muslim consumer and/or a Muslim organisation do to assist SANHA?
• Support the activities of SANHA.
• Make a serious effort to understand the Deeni aspects of Halaal and Haraam.
• Demand SANHA CERTIFIED PRODUCTS. You have the right to demand the highest possible Halaal Standards. Ask your butcher, grocer, restaurant, or fast food outlet that you want SANHA approval of their products. You can make a difference.
• Encourage other Muslim organisations to join SANHA. You have a right to insist on one national body for all the certifying bodies to belong to. Should not that body be SANHA, your organisation?
• Join the Muslim Consumer Council.
• As a Muslim organisation, become a member of SANHA and contribute constructively to the debate.
• Become the eyes and ears of SANHA in the market place. Report any discrepancies you find immediately to the SANHA offices either in Durban or Johannesburg and ask SANHA to act!
• Pass on all information to as wide a circle around as possible.
• Finally, continuously make du’aa for the success of SANHA.
You, the Muslim Consumer with the guidance of Allâh Subhânahu Wa Ta’ala have made it happen, let’s continue to grow it!
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comment form