After more than two years of absence due to Covid19, the annual Minstrel competitions, Malay choir road marches and the historic Tweede Nuwe Jaar Minstrel Parade will return this summer.

The City of Cape Town will once again provide financial support, event services and waive the use of City facilities for the events.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says these events represent the rich heritage of our beautiful city and they mean so much to thousands of Capetonians who have grown up with the culture associated with Minstrels and Malay Choirs.

”Not seeing them performing over the last summers has left a cultural hole in Cape Town. We have all waited eagerly for this day. Ons wil almal weer ‘n slag die klanke van die ghoema hoor en die kleure van die klopse in ons strate sien!”

We are really looking forward to working with the organisations to ensure we put on a massive celebration for their return and to ensure those who make a livelihood through these events can continue doing so,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The first of the events, the Cape Malay Choir Board Choral competition, is taking place at the Good Hope Christian Centre in Ottery on Saturday 24 September 2022.The competitions will run until the end of October culminating in the Grand Finale at the Athlone stadium

The Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) Minstrel competitions will take place throughout January while the ‘2de Nuwe Jaar’ Minstrel Parade (Cape Town Street Parade) will return to its traditional date of 2 January.

Keep The Dream Choral competition will also be taking place in January and February 2023.

“The Events Office has been in talks with the organisations periodically over the last two years to discuss resuming the events during the difficult period characterised by the global pandemic. The City’s support through the funding process and the permitting process will be crucial in ensuring that these important cultural events are able to once again take their place as jewels in the city’s annual events calendar. The City is committed to ensuring we put the measures in place for the safe return and successful hosting of these events,’ said Alderman JP Smith.

In order to allow for stability and to ensure better planning of future events, the City intends to ask Council to approve new three-year agreements to fund the road march events until the 2024/25 financial year.

”Organising and hosting this event is complex and costly and the 2 year standstill due to the Covid pandemic introduced further complexities such as funding challenges and supply chain issues – many businesses in the events industry have either closed or scaled down their operations. The intention by the City of Cape Town to commit to a new three-year financial support system illustrates their commitment to our culture. It will enable us to restart and grow this iconic event and in doing so, leverage its intrinsic socio-economic value for the benefit of all in the City”said KKKA chairperson Muneeb Gambino.

Said Cape Malay Choir Board Secretary Ismail Ely: ”The Cape Malay Choir Board is indeed grateful to the Mayor and his team at the City of Cape Town for the support, without which, we would have great difficulty presenting our Cultural Heritage to our people and communities. Our community has been anticipating the return of the Malay Choirs on both New Year’s Eve as well as our Annual Choral Competitions. We have had to, in compliance with the Covid protocols, leave all Malay Choir activity in abeyance. Now with the support of the City of Cape Town once again, we are in a position to restart our activities. We kick off our season with our Annual Choral Competitions, leading up to the Grand Finale at the Athlone Stadium. We acknowledge the difficulties our choirs face, restarting after a 2-year gap of inactivity but we move forward positively.”

Keep the Dream Choir Board chairperson Mogamat Salih Davids said, “The board salutes the resumption of the festive season programme. We acknowledge that the pandemic has affected all of us, however together we will revive and reach for excellence in practicing our age old traditions and culture.”