A dispute between the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association and the City of Cape Town has played out alongside preparations for the official Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade, highlighting ongoing tensions over permits, venues and the future of one of the city’s most deeply rooted cultural traditions. A long-running dispute between the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and the City of Cape Town came into sharp focus on Saturday when members of the association joined a protest march in the city, citing uncertainty over venues and frustration at the City’s decision to appeal a recent High Court ruling. CTMCA manager Yagya Canfield said the protest coincided with Tweede Nuwe Jaar and reflected growing disillusionment among troupes affected by delays and legal battles.
“It is one day that we are celebrating but what the City is currently doing is not postponing but appealing against orders that the judges made against them and posing for relief and pushing us back to what we are really standing for,” Canfield said. He explained that the association had originally planned activities for January 2, but these were complicated by a holy day for Muslims. “It is supposed to be on the second but because of the religious day on Friday, we would have started after 2pm, to have the street available to us.
This was declined when we applied,” he said. Unable to proceed, the CTMCA opted to participate in a permitted protest instead. Canfield said the ongoing uncertainty had already had financial consequences.
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