Cape Town – The City of Cape Town has laid charges against the board of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and its chairperson, Pot Stemmet.
This after the "CTMCA withdrew from a duly authorised joint event with the Cape District Minstrels Board at Florida Park in Ravensmead and illegally occupied the Belhar Sports Field", JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, said on Wednesday.
"We understand that Stemmet refused to share costs for additional portable toilets that were required for the Florida Park venue and summarily decided to move his troops to Belhar for their own, illegal event.
"The CTMCA did not have a booking to use the Belhar venue, nor an events permit.
"However, the enforcement agencies advised against evicting the approximately 500 people who had taken over the venue in the interest of the safety of attendees, which included children," Smith said.
"The actions of the CTMCA cannot be condoned. It is for this reason that the City has laid criminal charges of trespassing and holding an illegal gathering in terms of the Gatherings Act.
"We are also pursuing charges in terms of the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act (Sasrea) as well as the City’s Events By-law.
"There is talk that security guards were intimidated into allowing the group into the venue. If this is true, it could lead to further criminal charges.
"Stemmet and his association have, through their actions, established a pattern of questionable behaviour that sullies the reputation of the minstrels' fraternity.
"It is unfair to the other associations who work very hard, and within the ambit of the law, to remain true to the spirit of what is a significant piece of Cape Town’s cultural and social fabric."
In December, the City filed a charge of fraud against the CTMCA after it emerged that they had allegedly composed a fraudulent letter seeking funding, using an old City letterhead.
"The association also owes the City at least R700 000 relating to cost orders from the numerous court challenges that they’ve launched, and lost, in recent years.
"We will be pursuing the recovery of these funds with vigour, because the CTMCA is clearly not acting in good faith and has exhausted our patience," Smith said.