Swazi Observer

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â€˜ZWANE, COUNCIL REJECT MUSLIM CHURCHâ€™

By Samkelisiwe Khoza | 2019-02-15

Matsapha Town Council Chairperson Sandlane Zwane and his councillors are accused of xenophobic attitudes towards the Muslim community for rejecting an application to build a mosque in the municipality.

The on-going public submissions are conducted at the Matsapha Town Council by the commission of enquiry appointed by Minister of Housing and Urban Development Prince Simelane. It comprises Lungile Magagula (Chairperson), Mzwandile Dlamini (Secretary), with commissioners, Ayanda Sigudla, Benito Jones and Ocean Zibuse Simelane.

The Muslim community representatives said their application to construct the mosque was chucked through the window by the councillors together with their Zwane.

When the councillors assumed office in 2017, the community applied for the construction soon thereafter. However, that application was declined and construction subsequently barred.

The community submitted that the councillors told them that they were of the Christian faith, therefore, they cannot allow the construction of that mosque.

During the submissions, the Arabs explained that all they wanted from the Council was to be granted permission to build the house of worship. They explained that the construction site or plot legally belonged to them, they were not asking for land.

Investor

They also brought forward that they had in the bag an investor from Kuwait who was to finance the construction of the mosque. Unfortunately, the investor packed his bags together with his money and left when he realised he was faced with xenophobic and religious intolerance.

Furthermore, council and Zwane cited that if they were to construct anything it had to be an industrial structure because that was an industrial site. Therefore, every construction must be industrial and provide employment to a significant number of citizens.

Meanwhile, a deafening question that made the room so quiet one could hear a pin drop was that why other towns in the country had mosques yet their administrations are Christians.

The Muslims said that xenophobic act by Zwane and the councillors dented the trust Arabic countries, especially investors, held for Eswatini.

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