Cape Town - The City of Cape Town and various minstrel associations have signed an agreement to ensure the Cape Minstrels' annual carnival is a success, mayor Patricia de Lille said on Sunday.
“Minstrel associations will participate in the event management of upcoming Minstrel Carnival events. Next year, the associations will be the overarching event organisers of the Cape Annual Minstrel Carnival,” she said in a statement.
“The City of Cape Town will assist with competitions at venues such as the Athlone Stadium, Vygieskraal, Florida Park and Delft.”
It was also agreed that there would be a single VIP area to ensure that all VIPs related to the minstrels were in the same area.
On Friday, De Lille, the city, and International Relations Deputy Minister Marius Fransman met representatives of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association.
De Lille said the city provided R3.5 million worth of logistical and support services such as traffic control, safety and security, law enforcement and cleansing to ensure the carnival was controlled.
“In addition to this, the Western Cape government provides approximately R2 million for transportation costs of all minstrels groups, Malay choirs and Christmas bands,” she said.
“I wish to record the city’s continued support for the minstrels and this annual event.”
On December 17, the city expressed disappointment at CTMCA's failure to sign a memorandum of understanding about the annual carnival.
At the time, the city said the CTMCA had demanded additional money and greater control of the event and its resources. It said this was unsustainable and unreasonable.
It described its negotiations with the CTMCA as non-co-operative and confrontational.
The city said it started negotiations with minstrel associations, Malay choir boards and Christmas band boards in April to ensure this year's road march was properly organised.
The memorandum was signed by more than three quarters of the interested parties on December 3.
The CTMCA had refused to sign, despite three attempts by the city to secure its participation.
The city said events in the next two weeks included the Christmas Choir Bands March on December 24, the Malay Choir “Nagtroupe” March on December 31 and the Tweede Nuwejaar Minstrel March on January 4. - Sapa