Cape Town Pride festival criticised for lack of community focus amid celebrations

The protest was carried out by “Queers Demand Homes Not Walls” and was initiated by Tamara Nechama Thusi. While thousands showed up for the Cape Town Pride Festival, transforming the city into a rainbow playground, the importance of maintaining its protest roots remained a pressing issue. Although the rain cut Saturday’s festivities short, the day showcased music, drag, and live performances, with many families, friends, and allies supporting the City’s LGBTQIA+ community.

The Pride Festival is also a regular event for political parties, including GOOD leader and Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille and several officials from the Democratic Alliance, such as Mayco Member for Urban Mobility Rob Qantas. De Lille, in attendance as part of the Unite for Change Leadership Council, said that they came to support the LGBTQIA+ community because “it’s a human right”. “It’s a constitutional right, and people should not be discriminated against.

We will have to do this consistently to keep reminding everyone that they are all equal in this country. And what we do with our lives is our human right to do so. So, please stop the discrimination.” Qantas said that the City has been sponsoring the event for more than a decade. The festival has not come without its fair share of criticism over the years, and this year saw the protest against theCity of Cape Town’s N2 Wall project.