The first meeting of the Ministerial Committee on the Efficient Management of the Annual Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimages to oversee the sector has concluded.

The meeting was hosted by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor.

Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool will chair the Committee. Other members include Fatima Chohan, Professor Mathole Motshekga and former diplomat, Zeenat Adam amongst others.

The committee was set up following years of complaints about the management and administration of the hajj and umrah pilgrimages from South Africa.

Some disgruntled pilgrims have often felt that there was no real intervention when they encountered issues with bookings, visas, or the quotas.

The committee will conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders locally and in Saudi Arabia in preparation for the 2024 hajj season.

Minister Pandor says that President Cyril Ramaphosa had raised the issue of hajj quotas for South Africans during his state visit to Saudi Arabia last October.