Zululand Islamic Society blames KwaDukuza Municipality for mosque approval delays

THE Zululand Islamic Society (ZIS) has accused the KwaDukuza Municipality of dragging out the Ballito Mosque approval for nearly a decade, calling the delays "deeply troubling", "unexplained", and a direct violation of constitutional rights.

- SIPHESIHLE BUTHELEZI

In a statement, ZIS said the municipality has delayed the matter for almost eight years, failed to communicate, and “shifted goalposts without reason or transparency.”

The organisation, which oversees 52 mosque sites across northern KwaZulu-Natal, said it could no longer remain silent about what it describes as an unjustified reversal of a process that was already completed.

According to the Society, the matter began in 2017 when Muslims in Ballito requested help because they were forced “to travel long distances to Tongaat, Shakaskraal and Stanger for daily prayers, an immense inconvenience and a barrier to the elderly, the youth, and those unable to travel regularly.”