Legal battle brews as Minstrels challenge Cape Town’s Vygieskraal decision

The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association, CTMCA) says it has initiated legal action following the City of Cape Town’s alleged withdrawal of approval for the use of Vygieskraal and the refusal of an application for a street parade scheduled for 3 January.

In a message circulated to its members and supporters, the CTMCA said the City’s decision left it with no option but to approach the magistrate’s court. According to the association, the matter was initially expected to be heard on Saturday evening but has since been postponed to 29 December 2025. These details have been provided by the CTMCA and have not yet been independently confirmed through court records or official City documentation.

The CTMCA has described the reported withdrawal of approval as a major blow to the minstrel fraternity during the festive season, calling on supporters to attend court proceedings in a show of solidarity.

Vygieskraal, on the Cape Flats, features prominently in oral histories linked to the minstrel tradition. Heritage researchers have previously noted that during apartheid-era forced removals, minstrel troupes relied on informal, community-based spaces outside the city centre to rehearse, organise and transmit cultural knowledge. Cultural commentators stress that references to Vygieskraal are not intended to claim a single origin point for the tradition, but rather to reflect how the fraternity survived displacement through shared community spaces.

Responding to the unfolding dispute, Muneeb Gambino, a director of the Kaapse Klopse Karnaval Association (Kaapse Klopse Karnaval Association, KKKA), said the CTMCA and KKKA are separate organisations with different mandates.

Gambino said the KKKA has for the past two decades organised the Tweede Nuwe Jaar minstrel parade on an inclusive basis, allowing all minstrel associations to participate, while each association continues to run its own competition seasons independently.

“The KKKA does not get involved with the City when it comes to applications made by other associations,” Gambino said. “We apply for our events on a best-efforts basis and in line with compliance requirements.”

He confirmed that the KKKA met with the CTMCA about a month ago to discuss the new format of the Cape Town Street Parade and the CTMCA’s potential inclusion. According to Gambino, the CTMCA indicated that it had political differences with the City and intended to host its own parade on 3 January 2026, adding that the KKKA should not cater for its participation in the parade scheduled for 5 January.

“We wished each other luck and that was the end of it,” Gambino said, adding that the KKKA is not a respondent in the CTMCA’s court action. “Where organisations want to assert their rights, they are entitled to seek recourse in a democracy. We remain focused on delivering our season’s events as communicated.”

Gambino also said the first time the KKKA became aware of the CTMCA’s reported Vygieskraal application was when it was announced by the association on social media.

Political pressure around minstrel-related matters has continued to intensify. The Economic Freedom Fighters and the African National Congress in the Western Cape have previously issued statements backing concerns raised by minstrel bodies and community leaders, accusing the DA-led City of undermining a historic cultural tradition rooted in working-class communities.

Adding to the debate, Brett Herron, secretary-general of the GOOD Party, has called on the City to “come clean” about changes affecting the tradition. Herron has criticised the renaming, rerouting and rescheduling of the parade, saying it had been shifted to what he described as an “ahistorical date”.

Meanwhile, DA in the Western Cape issued a statement on Sunday calling on residents to support the Cape Minstrels during the annual celebration on Tweede Nuwe Jaar, 2 January 2026. DA Western Cape spokesperson on Cultural Affairs and Sport, Benedicta van Minnen, said the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport allocates R1.7 million annually to support the event, describing it as a cultural phenomenon deeply connected to the region’s history and identity.

“The Klopse remain a symbol of unity, joy and cultural expression,” Van Minnen said, encouraging residents to attend the celebrations.

The City of Cape Town has confirmed receipt of a media enquiry regarding the CTMCA’s claims. In response the city said: "The City can confirm that papers were served in this matter. The City will be filing its opposing papers, and this matter will be heard tomorrow, Monday 29 December 2025."

While there has been confirmed reporting on broader changes to the Kaapse Klopse programme and parade logistics for 2026, there is currently no independent confirmation of the City’s alleged withdrawal of Vygieskraal approval or the specifics of the CTMCA’s court action. Those aspects are therefore reported as claims made by the association, pending official confirmation.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus