Standoff continues over venues for Cape Town Minstrels' competitions

The City of Cape Town says it is still waiting for the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) to submit a valid event permit application and provisional booking for available dates at Athlone Stadium, amid an ongoing standoff over venues for the association’s internal competitions. CTMCA kicked back that alternative dates later offered were midweek and during Ramadan.

In a statement, the City said that no application had yet been received for Athlone Stadium, despite dates being offered in January and February. Officials said they remain in regular contact with the CTMCA and have repeatedly confirmed that Vygieskraal Stadium cannot lawfully be used for the competitions, which are classified as medium-risk events.

According to the City, the most recent submission from the CTMCA was an incomplete application once again proposing Vygieskraal Stadium, a venue the City says does not meet legal requirements for medium-risk events as determined by South African Police Service (SAPS). The City said it had already communicated this position to the association months ago.

“The City remains committed to working with the CTMCA to secure a lawfully permissible venue,” the statement said, adding that the offer of Athlone Stadium dates remains open, provided the association complies with event-permitting laws and regulations.

The City also pointed out that Klopse competition events are continuing at Athlone Stadium throughout January for organisations that booked timeously and met regulatory requirements. December and January, it said, are the busiest months on the events calendar, with most venues booked many months or even more than a year in advance.

City officials further confirmed that an appeal has been lodged against a related High Court ruling that ordered venue provision on dates for which, the City maintains, no legally suitable venue is available.

Responding to the City’s position, CTMCA chairperson Igshaan Alexander rejected claims that the association failed to follow due process, saying the City was fully aware of the events and their history.

Alexander said Vygieskraal Stadium had been used in previous years for minstrel events, that an application was accepted, and that a R20 000 deposit was paid. He said the association advertised the events in good faith, only to be informed later via email that the venue dates had been withdrawn.

“On numerous occasions we tried to engage to find out why it was withdrawn,” Alexander said, adding that the lack of clarity eventually forced the association to approach the High Court.

He questioned why Athlone Stadium was not made available on earlier January dates, claiming the venue was unused on several days when the competitions could have taken place. Alexander said the alternative dates later offered — many midweek and during Ramadan — were “realistically impossible” for working participants, learners and service providers.

Alexander further claimed the City requested fresh event plans for Vygieskraal Stadium, including applying for a low-risk grading, and alleged that other, larger events had taken place at the venue in recent months.

“All events were stopped once the City became aware we had proof,” he said. “It makes you think — do they really want to make venues available for us to practise our heritage and culture?”

The dispute has unfolded against the backdrop of a busy minstrel season in Cape Town, following Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebrations that drew tens of thousands of performers and spectators, including major events organised by the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association.

The City has repeatedly stressed that the CTMCA matter is separate from those celebrations and has rejected suggestions that it does not support minstrel culture, noting that funding for minstrel events remains its single largest investment in the events sector.

Controversy has followed the issue of Athlone Stadium in recent months when ratepayers were set to be part of a public participation process regarding the City's proposal to dispose a portion of the parking area, which is set to be sold.

At the time, James Vos, Mayco Member for Economic Growth said the proposal was for mixed-use development which aims to incorporate ancillary retail.

In June last year, the city confirmed it had completed major refurbishment at Vygieskraal Athletics stadium, including the installation of brand-new floodlighting, roof repairs valued at nearly R1 million and restoration.

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