RIYADH — A total of 7,500 South African pilgrims instead of 7,000 will be performing Haj this year, according to South African Consul General Mohamed Dangor, who is based in Jeddah.
This has been made possible by the fact that another 500 visas have been issued by the Saudi authorities in addition to the 7,000 already issued to South African pilgrims, which is the quota for South Africa.
The issuance of 500 visas has ended uncertainty among those waiting to hear from the Saudi government whether they would be granted visas for Haj.
“The problem involving 500 additional visas has been solved. The visas were issued last week,” Dangor told Arab News yesterday. The problem cropped up when travel agents sold at least 500 more air tickets and took money from intending pilgrims who had no visas.
The Saudi Ambassador to South Africa Faizal Moalla told pilgrims earlier, he was awaiting written instructions from the authorities in Saudi Arabia.
“We have asked for 500 more visas for South Africa. Until we get written instructions, there is nothing we can do,” he said. The president of the Haj and Umrah Council of S. Africa, Dr. Rashid Saloojee, has expressed happiness over the issuance of additional visas.
