Statement by the City’s Executive Mayor,
Alderman Patricia de Lille
City warns against Tweede Nuwejaar March being turned
into political event
The City of Cape Town has warned the leadership of the two biggest
minstrel associations – the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association
(CTMCA) and the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) – against
turning this weekend’s Tweede Nuwejaar Minstrels Carnival into a political
event.
This comes after media reports claimed that some minstrels would wear
Nelson Mandela armbands with an ANC logo during the Tweede Nuwejaar
parade on Saturday 4 January 2014, and that ANC Provincial Chairman,
Marius Fransman, would be named patron of the annual event.
The City has no problem with troupes marching in whatever colour they
choose or wearing Nelson Mandela armbands in memory of our former
statesman, who was also a proud patron of the Cape Minstrels, but to
have the ANC logo on the band is not an option that the City or I would
support as it would result in making politics out of a cultural tradition.
The City has also advised the minstrel associations that the selection of
and the announcement of Mr Fransman as patron be clarified in terms of
whether he does so in his capacity as leader of the ANC in the Western
Cape or whether he is doing so in his capacity as Deputy Minister of
International Relations and Cooperation.
I must emphasise that the City of Cape Town will not fund a cultural
parade if it is going to be turned into a political event.
Last week, as part of our commitment to building an inclusive city, we
reached an amicable agreement with minstrel associations to ensure that
the upcoming Cape Annual Minstrel Carnival is a success.
At the meeting, it was agreed that:
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Minstrel associations will participate in the event management of
upcoming Minstrel Carnival events
Next year (2014/15) the associations will be the overarching event
organisers of the Cape Annual Minstrel Carnival
The City of Cape Town will assist with competitions at venues such
as the Athlone Stadium, Vygieskraal, Florida Park and Delft
There will be a single VIP area to ensure that all VIPs related to the
minstrels are in the same area
The associations and the City met today (30 December 2013) to finalise
the logistical arrangements for the New Year’s Eve Malay Choir
‘nagtroepe’ March and the Tweede Nuwejaar Event on Saturday. All
parties were satisfied with arrangements for both events.
The leadership of the two associations have subsequently agreed that the
ANC logo would be removed from the armbands and that troupes
participating would instead be given plain black armbands with an image
of Nelson Mandela.
The City provides R3,5 million worth of logistical and support services
such as traffic control, safety and security, law enforcement, and
cleansing to ensure that the annual Minstrel Carnival is controlled and
managed in the best interests of the Minstrel groups, spectators and the
city as a whole.
In addition to this, the Western Cape Government provides approximately
R2 million for transportation costs of all minstrels groups, Malay Choirs
and Christmas Bands.