Kaapse Klopse route change sparks outcry over heritage and access

The historic Kaapse Klopse (Tweede Nuwe Jaar) parade route in Cape Town will change this year, sparking backlash from sections of the minstrel fraternity who say the decision was taken without consultation.

The parade will now start in Lower Chiappini Street, pass under Helen Suzman Boulevard and end at DHL Stadium, instead of following its traditional path from District Six through the city centre to Bo-Kaap.

Chairperson of the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association, Sedick Soeker, says the rerouting severs the carnival from sites central to the memory of slavery, forced removals and cultural resistance.

"It is very important to notice that this rerouting was done without any consultation whatsoever.

"I think they need to be transparent in this process to make people understand who were the people that took this decision, where did it arise from, and who was consulted in this process.”

Soeker argues the move effectively commercialises a historically free public event, with spectators expected to pay up to R100 to access seating inside the stadium.

"Especially amongst our coloured people from the townships, the Tweede Nuwe Jaar Street Parade is a holiday for them, coming into the CBD area from all over... and having a joyous place which is free of charge.

"If you take a poor family coming out of the Cape Flats, for them – just in the transport costs, etc – it's almost going to cost them more than R1,000 for them to come and enjoy the stadium. Whereas in the past, this was a freebie for all Capetonians, visitors, everybody, tourism, and everything all around. All of a sudden, now to go into the stadium, to pay for something that is part of our culture, that is inheriting the richness of our culture.

"We believe that this has really been a seller of our heritage to the highest bidder in monetary terms."

Soeker states that legal action is being considered to halt the change, warning that the decision risks excluding working-class families from the Cape Flats who have long viewed Tweede Nuwe Jaar as a rare moment of cultural ownership of the city.

"There are certain groupings within the fraternity that are opposed, and we will fight tooth and nail."

Other groups within the carnival fraternity, however, support the new route, arguing it is necessary to modernise and sustain the event.

To listen to Sedick Soeker in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click the audio below: