STATEMENT TO THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT BY BRETT HERRON, GOOD MEMBER OF THE WESTERN CAPE PARLIAMENT AND SECRETARY-GENERAL

The Athaan is only a noise because the City of Cape Town defines it as one.

The Leeuwen Street Masjid reported a third “noise” complaint, in two months, was lodged against it on Friday afternoon and that the City’s Law Enforcement responded to investigate at 2pm in the afternoon.

The Provincial Noise regulations authorise municipalities to exempt sounds from the noise nuisance regulations.

Last year following a similar complaint against the call to prayer at the Zeenatul mosque in District Six the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Zahid Badroodien, announced that the governing DA caucus had agreed to amend the by-law to exempt the Athaan from the noise nuisance by-law.

When the proposed by-law amendments were published earlier this year they introduced draconian measures targeting homeless people and grabbing unconstitutional powers like the power to confiscate digital images on our devices. What was missing from the proposed amendments was anything to do with noise nuisance and the promised exemption of legitimate sounds like the call to prayer and church bells.

The Mayor and his Mayco gave no explanation for this omission and it seems last year’s announcement was simply to appease and quell the outrage.

This is dishonest and duplicitous.

The fact that our Law Enforcement continue to act on “noise complaints” against the call to prayer is an outrage.

The Mayor owes us an explanation, a moratorium and an urgent amendment.

Cape Town is a city rich in its diversity. We should embrace and celebrate it. Instead our government protects intolerance and prejudice.