City signs historic agreement with newly formed Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee

For the past three years, the City of Cape Town has made a concerted effort to ensure the success of the annual Minstrel Carnival in terms of planning and implementation.

The City's relationship with the minstrel organisations has been strengthened as a result of our efforts to revive and rejuvenate the historic and cultural significance of the Minstrel, Malay Choir and Christmas Band events.

Since 2011 we have engaged in ongoing discussions to ensure the continued success of the event and establish the best model for the planning, management and hosting of the annual Minstrel Carnival in a compliant and responsible manner.

Today I am pleased to announce that we have reached a milestone in this journey with the signing of a historic agreement between the City of Cape Town and the newly formed Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee.

We have finally reached an agreement well ahead of the festive season to ensure that we are well prepared and that there are no last-minute hassles.

The Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee consists of representatives of the Minstrels, Malay Choirs and Christmas Bands responsible for organising events at various venues throughout the city.

These events start with the annual Minstrels Carnival during the festive season and end in April when the final competitions are held. 

They are a highlight for many communities in Cape Town, and people come out in their thousands to watch the annual road marches and parades.

In terms of this new agreement, the Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee will be the event organiser.

The City will provide financial and logistical support to ensure that the events are properly managed in the best interests of the minstrels, spectators (both local and international) and the city as a whole.

This year the City will provide R2 million in funding to the committee to organise the various events.

This will go toward toilets, fencing, security, safety, medical services, logistics and public relations, to be arranged by the Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee.

These funds will be released to the Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee for the Minstrels, Malay Choirs and Christmas Bands and carnival events for 2014/2015.

The City will also make an additional contribution of R1,65 million, to be allocated to City services. 

This funding will be used to waive venue rental and poster fees; for traffic signage and parking bays; to provide generators and waste management; for City Traffic Services, Metro Police, Law Enforcement, Disaster Risk Management and Fire and Rescue Services; and any other internal costs for which the City is legislatively responsible and which cannot be outsourced to the committee.

Funding provided by the City for this financial year therefore totals R3,65 million.

These funds will be disbursed and managed in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

The Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee will implement effective, efficient and transparent financial management and internal control systems to guard against fraud, theft and financial mismanagement to ensure that funding is utilised for its intended use as outlined in the agreement.

The City will monitor and evaluate the Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee's performance under this agreement. The Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee must also provide the City with a full event report by March 2015.

Despite some challenges experienced in the past, this administration has always been committed to ensuring that these events continue, as they constitute an integral component of the festive season calendar.

In 2011, I appointed retired Constitutional Court judge, Kate O'Regan, to mediate between the City and various boards and organisations that represented the Cape minstrel associations, Christmas bands and Cape Malay choirs.

The outcome of the mediation was a document signed by all of the associations that guided the way forward.

The agreement provided for the establishment of a logistics committee comprising nominees from the City and minstrel associations who co-organised the events for the three financial years from 2011 to 2014.

During the planning lead-up to last year's events, the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival and the Kaapse Klopse Association advised that they felt it was time to introduce a long-term policy change.

The associations and boards allied to the Cape Town Minstrels Carnival events and competitions were of the view that they were well aligned and ready to organise the events themselves.

They requested that the City play a supportive role, as in previous years, rather than a coordinating role.

After a period of negotiation, this request was considered by the City's Special Events Committee and in October this year, it was recommended that the annual Minstrels Carnival and competitions be supported.

Judge Kate O'Regan has commended the City and the Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee for reaching an agreement, wishing us well and saying that she is delighted that a promising way forward has been identified to ensure coordinated planning for the annual success of these iconic events.

This agreement is in line with our efforts to build an inclusive city and create an enabling environment to attract investment that supports economic growth and job creation.

It is also a firm demonstration of our commitment to support the diverse cultures and events that give Cape Town its unique identity.

Every year the Minstrels, Christmas Bands and Malay Choirs attract thousands of spectators.

These events are not only significant as festive and colourful celebrations, but also for the role they play in contributing to our economy and creating jobs.

The largest road parade is the Minstrel Carnival, which takes place annually on 2 January, also known as Tweede Nuwe Jaar.

As many as 13 000 minstrels take part in this event, dressed in their colourful costumes and playing an array of instruments.

These events support our strategy to establish Cape Town as the events capital of Africa and add to our exciting and dynamic events calendar.

Going forward, it is my hope that this agreement sets a solid foundation for a successful relationship between the City of Cape Town and the Cape Cultural and Carnival Committee so that we may continue to work together to host successful events.

Working with a collective goal in mind, which celebrates our rich cultural heritage and helps grow the economy and create jobs, we can make progress possible together.

Statement issued by City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, November 17 2014

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