The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) has confirmed ex-gratia payments have begun to be disbursed to disgruntled hujaaj (pilgrims) from the 2023 Hajj.
Last month, SAHUC stated nearly 3,500 South African pilgrims would receive compensation for poor service delivery. This decision came after concerns were raised by hujaaj about subpar services provided to certain pilgrims, particularly during their stay at Mina.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia agreed to an ex-gratia payment of over 3 million SAR (approximately R14.5 million) to affected pilgrims.
Speaking to VOC News, SAHUC President Moaaz Casoo said to date only 2,500 pilgrims have submitted the required documents to receive payment.
“A total of 356 payments have been concluded [thus far]. Every week we will be providing updates so hajjis can see the status of the payments. But we are urging the brothers and sisters to please submit the relevant information,” said Casoo.
If pilgrims want to query their status, they can send an email to [email protected] or call the SAHUC offices during business hours (Monday–Friday) on 010 001 9101.
VOC
- Source: VOC News
