ACDP objects to halaal certification requirement in Khayelitsha Hospital catering tender

The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in the Western Cape has objected to a requirement that service providers bidding for a catering tender at Khayelitsha Hospital must have halaal certification.

The party argues that the condition enforces a religious standard at a state institution and unfairly excludes businesses that are not halaal-certified.

‘A blanket cover’ requirement

Speaking on CapeTalk, Western Cape ACDP leader Ferlon Christians said the issue was not with halaal food itself but with what he described as a blanket requirement.

“We feel this is a way of discrimination against non-halaal people,” said Christians.

“This halaal certificate that they want to have at Khayelitsha is a blanket cover. Service providers must have a halaal certificate, so it means everybody’s affected.”

Christians said that while kosher certification caters for a specific group, the hospital requirement would apply to all patients and suppliers.

“A kosher will be for specific people. This is forced,” he said.

Cost and compliance concerns

Christians also raised concerns about the administrative and financial implications of halaal certification for businesses.

“It’s not just having a chicken certified,” he said. “You must apply for that certification. You must pay a yearly certification fee. There’s a lot that goes with it.”

He argued that Christian-owned businesses that do not wish to be halaal-certified should not be compelled to do so to compete for state tenders.

“What we are disputing is whether you must have a halaal certificate to do business work,” he said.

Debate over religion in public institutions

The discussion also touched on whether requiring halaal certification in a public hospital amounts to enforcing religious standards in a secular country.

Christians maintain that patients in a state hospital have no choice over the food they are served.

“You end up in the state hospital, and you are subjected to taking the food that they provide. And now they tell the supplier, if you are not halaal-certified, you cannot do business. I think it’s unfair,” he said.

He rejected suggestions that the party was engaging in a broader ‘culture war’, saying his stance was based on local experience.

The Western Cape government has not yet publicly responded to the ACDP’s objections.

For more details, listen to Christians using the audio player below: