South Africans can check Hajj list

AS MUSLIMS worldwide await news of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) has opened its registration portal to allow people to see where they are on the list.

According to the SAHUC, there is anticipation that Saudi Arabia will be opening for the broader Muslim world after two years of Covid-19 restrictions.

Last year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that because of the developments of the pandemic and emergence of new variations, only 60 000 of its residents and citizens from the kingdom, who had already been vaccinated, would be allowed.

Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims.

In a notice to Hajj applicants, the SAHUC urged applicants to view their place in the queue.

Moaaz Casoo, the SAHUC’S assistant secretary general, said if people felt they could not participate in this season's Hajj for whatever reason, they should inform the council soonest.

“We can then move your application to a year in the future. There may be people who due to finances cannot perform Hajj this year or cannot get leave.

“We have not received any official communication yet from the kingdom, but we are preparing ourselves in the event that an announcement is made.

“We have opened the portal where pilgrims can see where they are placed on the list.

“We are trying to get people prepared in case we receive a quota for pilgrims to perform Hajj,” said Casoo.

He said there were currently 33 000 people on the list.

“We don’t know how many people will get accredited if Hajj does take place.

“In the past, prior to Covid, our numbers would have been 2 500 to 3 500 pilgrims. If we do get an allocation it would be very small,” he said.

He said 2019 was the last time South Africans were allowed to perform Hajj.