Lack of clarity and consistency

IN HIS opinion piece titled “Charity must not be shackled by the state” (the POST, April 16-20), Yogin Devan raises valid concerns about the need to preserve the independence of charitable organisations from state interference.

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However, the piece suffers from a lack of clarity, inconsistency in argumentation, and conflation of national contexts, which ultimately detracts from its effectiveness as an op-ed.

At the heart of the column is an apparent plea for non-interference by government in the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially those involved in charity. This is a legitimate concern and one that deserves serious public discourse. However, the way in which Devan attempts to support this argument, by referencing the recently passed Waqf Amendment Bill in India, creates more confusion than clarity.

The crux of the problem lies in the author's inconsistent narrative. Is the primary purpose of the column to highlight the charitable contributions of South African Muslims? Or is it to critique the Waqf Amendment Bill passed by India’s BJP-led government? Or perhaps it aims to issue a broader warning about state overreach into NGO work?