Cape Town - weede Nuwe Jaar celebrations which take place on the second of January each year in Cape Town kicked off in colourful style today.
The Cape Malay Minstrels Festival is marking 100 years of singing and dancing in colourful costumes in the streets of the Mother City.
It�s a tradition started by slaves in the colonial Cape in the mid 19th Century.
Today it`s a tourist attraction in its own right, thanks to the dedication of the mostly coloured community that continues the colourful event.
Even the Premier, Ebrahim Rasool and Mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille took time out from their holidays to celebrate the occasion.
Rasool says: "The Kaapse Klopse have become an important feature of what Cape Town has to offer, we`ve even doubled our contribution as government from 1.5 million to 3.5 million rand."
But even with the backing of the Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town, it seems organizers still have much to learn before they reach the standards of the well-oiled machinery of international events like the Rio and Trinidad Carnivals.
Nevertheless, judging by the response of the patient crowds, Capetonians are not ones to hold grudges and still enjoyed the festivities. The Kaapse Klopse Centenary Celebrations end on the 16th of this month.
Source: www.sabcnews.com (2 Januari 2008)
