No more 'Strictly Halaal'- Khama

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Tuesday November 4, 2008 00:00

 

According to President Ian Khama's address yesterday, government is drafting a bill that provides for meat slaughtered outside of the Muslim method to be available to consumers.

This will come as a relief to local meat producers, who complained that stringent halaal requirements were a major stumbling block to accessing the meat market, especially the big chain stores. According to the current practice, all meat sold in the mainstream meat market is halaal.

Khama said he has instructed the Attorney General to draft a bill that will change this and allow for non-halaal meat to be made available in the shops.

Once passed as law, this legal instrument will empower the Ministry of Trade and Industry to put in place rules that permit major food retailers to sell non-halaal products.

The chain shops will be required to provide non-halaal sections.

The halaal debate has been going on for years in Parliament as MPs made attempts to rescue thousands of poultry farmers who found it costly to supply chain shops with chicken. For example, chickens not killed in the Muslim-sanctioned fashion attract an extra charge of P1.50 per chick.

It is hoped that with the shops bound by the law to have separate shelves for non-halaal food, even those in the piggery and beef sub-sectors will now be able to supply chain shops which have been turning them away because of the halaal requirement.

The issue of halaal reached boiling point in 2004 when the MP for Mmadinare, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, lamented that the practice frustrates Batswana who are in micro-poultry farming.

Kedikilwe viewed halaal as a recipe for social disharmony based on religion. The legislator observed that halaal was a stumbling block to many Batswana who have been encouraged by the government to be innovative by taking advantage of available business opportunities.

Coincidentally, Kedikilwe was then debating former President, Festus Mogae's parliamentary address and his concern has been answered four years later.