Orion Meats’ Patrick Gaertner denied they sold pork and other meat as halaal.
Outraged Muslims turned up in their numbers at the Cape Town High Court yesterday, protesting and carrying posters expressing their anger over the possibility that Muslims may have consumed meat that is not halaal.
The Muslim community and the South African National Halaal Authority (Sanha) expressed their shock and anger outside the court yesterday. Sanha and the Red Meat Industry Forum of South Africa applied for an interim interdict yesterday.
The interdict asks that Orion Cold Storage be prevented from distributing meat.
This comes after allegations that the company imported pork, water buffalo and kangaroo meat and relabelled it as halaal beef.
The case could not resume yesterday as there was no judge available to hear the matter.
The case will resume today.
Moulena Mohamed Saeed Navlakhi from Sanha said yesterday: “We understand because this matter will need much attention.”
Outside the court protesters were carrying placards saying: “This case is no pignic”, “Kangaroo in court” and “To beef or not to beef”.
Abu-bakr Jacobs, 20, from Grassy Park, one of the protestors, said they were very shocked when they found out about the alleged relabelling.
“So this means that you do not know what you are putting into your mouth. It is really sad that this thing can happen in this day and age.
“As a Muslim it is only through eating Halaal meat that you will get the strength that you need.
“But we as Muslims should also make a concerted effort to find out if the meat your butcher or supermarket is selling is Halaal.
“We have accepted and taken it too much for granted that if the meat which contains the Halaal certificate, is indeed Halaal.
“People should also ask their butchers where they get their meat from,” Jacobs said.
Patrick Gaertner the managing director of Orion Cold Storage, again denied the allegations and said that they would defend their position.
“We have been blackmailed and sabotaged,” he said.
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