The minstrel competition is a separate event from the official Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade.
With about 20 000 performers expected to take part in the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) in Cape Town on Monday, the City of Cape Town says key routes in and around the city centre will be affected to facilitate the fan walk activation.
However, it comes in the shadow of a court battle between the City of Cape Town and the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA).
The CTMCA on Saturday distanced itself from the Kaapse KKKA’s event, saying it undermines the objectives and heritage, and goes against the grain of cultural heritage that has existed for hundreds of years.
Separate events
The CTMCA marched to the Western Cape legislature on Saturday, protesting over a range of issues, including what it described as the “cultural erasure of Tweede Nuwe Jaar”.
A legal battle over the venue for the CTMCA’s 2026 competition appeared far from over, with the City launching a second appeal, just days before the parade was expected to kick off.
The minstrel competition is a separate event from the official Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade by the KKKA set to be held in Green Point on Monday, 5 January 2025.
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Road closures
Road closures are now in effect in Green Point ahead of the minstrel parade.
The KKA’s parade will begin at 11am with minstrels marching up Somerset Road towards the DHL Stadium.
Other affected routes include Main Road, Green Point, between Buitengracht Street and Three Anchor Bay Road, as well as along Helen Suzman Boulevard and Granger Bay Boulevard.
Closures will take place at staggered times from 06:00. Parking restrictions will apply along the route and in adjacent side streets.
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Limited services
City of Cape Town Traffic Service Kevin Jacobs said Gallows Hill will operate with limited services.
“Public access to Gallows Hill will be available via Ebenezer Road until 11am. No driver’s licence tests are scheduled for the day. Learner’s licence tests will proceed; however, testing times will be adjusted accordingly.
“Traffic officers will be deployed along the route to assist with traffic flow and pedestrian safety. Motorists are advised to allow for extra travel time and to adhere to instructions from traffic officials,” Jacobs said.
City of Cape Town spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said the event will also be broadcast to homes nationwide via the national broadcaster.
Court battles
Meanwhile, Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Ricardo McKenzie, who received the memorandum on Saturday, said the city has communicated available dates for the Athlone Stadium to the association following a dispute over the use of Vygieskraal Stadium for minstrel competitions.
In a late-night ruling on Wednesday, 31 January 2025, the Western Cape High Court again ordered the City of Cape Town to comply with a previous court directive, requiring the city to identify a suitable alternative to the festival from 1 January 2026 at its own expense.
Judgement
In the judgment, Judge James Lekhuleni reiterated that the city must make a suitable venue available for the CTMCA’S event. This is despite the city’s appeal against the original ruling.
Tyhalibongo said the City has since formally offered to help the CTMCA with Athlone stadium on available mid-week dates in January and a weekend in February.
“This offer is, of course, subject to CTMA duly complying with applicable legislation, including those laws that regulate the event permitting process and doing business with the City.”
No other venues
Tyhalibongo added that no other venues are available on the dates requested by the CTMCA in January.
The matter concerns a September booking of the Vygieskraal stadium for the historic event, which is an expression of the identity, heritage, and resilience of the Mother City’s diverse communities.
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