A bitter rental dispute has erupted between Mufti Rasheed Moosa from Madressah Rashidiya and a South African-Pakistani national, Asif Islamdin.

The dispute has led to a plethora of allegations, the alleged assault of Mufti Moosa outside Masjid Saliheen in Lenasia Extension 13 on the 19th October 2012 and a court case.

Mufti Moosa said that Islamdin was renting a flat in Lenasia Extension 13 from him and has allegedly defaulted in paying rental for the months June to October 2012 and has the records and receipts to prove it.

Islamdin alleges that Mufti Moosa played the heavy hand. He increased the rental to exorbitant amounts deferring from the initial agreement, cut the electricity while his wife Zainub and 4 year old daughter were at home and even had him arrested for malicious damage to property. A claim Mufti Moosa vehemently denies.

The culmination of the allegations between the landlord and tenant resulted in the alleged assault of Mufti Moosa by Islamdin on the 19th October 2012 outside Masjid Saliheen in Lenasia, Extension 13. Mufti Moosa said, “on the 19th of October, on Friday after Jumu’ah right at the entrance of the masjid as I was coming out, he was already waiting for me, this Asif.”

“And then he told me I must drop the charges. (Mufti Moosa laid charges against Islamdin for failing to pay the rent) If not I will see the consequences of that. He’ll get gangsters for me and he will kill me. I told him I wont drop the charges, you must pay my money first. And that’s when he slapped me,” added Mufti Moosa.  

On the 10Th of December 2012, the case was heard at the Lenasia Magistrates court. The charges against Islamdin was withdrawn due to a lack of evidence and the failure by Mufti Moosa to provide a witness to the alleged assault.

However while at the court, a witness to another case who is well aware of the dispute between Mufti Moosa and Islamdin spoke to Radio Islam on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

He said, “Islamdin and Mufti Moosa are both perjuring themselves and they are both to blame for the allegations made against each other. He alleges that both the landlord and tenant are guilty of misconduct and they could have and should have resorted to sorting out the matter in a more amicable manner without the intervention of the courts.