The Mughammadiyyah Masjid committee stated that they are aiming for 10 000 signatures digitally and physically to demonstrate to the mayor that their demand has the support of a large proportion of the residents of the city.to turn down the volume of the Call to Prayer, as a result of a complaint received in terms of the Western Cape Noise Control Regulations.
This was after the Hill-Leiws announced the “Noise and Nuisance” section of the Streets, Public Spaces and Prevention of Noise and Nuisances By-law is no longer applicable to designated places of worship in terms of the Standard Operating Procedure applicable to places of worship. They said Hill-Lewis reneged on his promise to amend the By-law and proceeded by leaving the By-law intact and only updated its SOP relating to the By-law.
“Although the Mughammadiyyah Masjid committee understands and appreciates why the mayor felt it necessary to adopt a quick-fix, expedient approach on a burning issue such as the exemption of places of worship from the Noise and Nuisance By-law, we cannot understand why the mayor insists on maintaining it as a permanent feature and not initiate a more rigorous, public participatory, democratic process of amending the By-law itself in parallel,” they said.