After two years, the streets of Cape Town’s CBD will light up in colour again – when the annual 2de nuwe jaar parade returns.
On Wednesday, the City of Cape Town and the various Minstrel organisations announced that competitions will continue.
It includes the historical minstrel carnival, which returns on the 2nd of January 2023.
These events had to be postponed over the past two years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the City has signed a three-year agreement with Minstrel and Malay Choir organisations.
“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”.
The organisers of the Minstrel carnival and Malay events say they’re happy that the events will resume.
The Dream Choir Board’s president Mogamat Salih Davids says the past period has been difficult for them.
“The shareholders, the minstrels and the tailors. They all depend on these events, the Klopse and the Malay choirs. We were negatively affected by the postponement of the events, the members as well as the supporters. We lost our members due to Covid-19, but we have to move on..
Meanwhile, the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association’s director, Muneeb Gambino says they hope to see more people coming out in big numbers.
“On carnival day it’s always an excess of 120 000 people in the city, and we have about between 20 000 and 30 000 participants. We will prepare for that. But with carnival fever amongst people in the City bumper crowds”.
