Association Of Muslim Accountants And Lawyers (AMAL)

A meeting between UUCSA and AMAL took place at the request of AMAL. The Chairman of AMAL; The objective of the meeting was to develop a collaborative working relationship with UUCSA on matters of common interest and to draw from the expertise that both AMAL & UUCSA has to offer.

The meeting resolved to look at the following two projects:

  • To draft a checklist for Muslim PBO’s to help them comply with the requisite provisions for PBO’s. Public Benefit Organisations, like religious institutions, are tax-exempt, but the South African Revenue Services is taking steps to ensure they remain tax compliant when it comes to their alternative revenue streams. A statement from SARS said that: "…SARS intends to make sure that all of the existing tax legislation directed at religious institutions and their employees are followed, and that every one that is liable to pay tax is indeed paying their fair share"

  • Jointly interrogate the Issue Paper 35 – “The Ministry of Home Affairs would like to propose the investigation of the development of a single Marriage Act for South Africa. Such an Act will enable South Africans of different religious and cultural persuasions to conclude legal marriages that will accord with the doctrine of equality as set out in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa” The Issue Paper looks at “A single marriage statute can take two different forms – either a unified set of requirements (and possible consequences) applying to all marriages, which we refer to as a single or unified marriage act, or alternatively a single act which contains different chapters which reflect the current diverse set of legal requirements for and consequences of civil marriages, civil unions, customary marriages, Muslim and possibly other religious marriages. The latter could be thought of as an omnibus or umbrella marriage statute”