Cultural Heritage Slave Route To Be Gazetted

The Tweede Nuwe Jaar working group has made a submission to the City to declare the slave route as a national cultural heritage route.

The application submission to declare the route as part of our national heritage will pave way for Minstrels, Malay and Christmas choirs to enjoy freedom of cultural expression and not under a DA -City rule.

The DA-City has in recent years renamed the Tweede Nuwe Jaaar, as Capetownians know it, to the Cape Carnival.

Sedick Soeker, member of the Tweede Nuwe Jaar committee says the cultural heritage groups contribute significantly to social cohesion through their annual parades and performances.

He says the annual Tweede Nuwe Jaar Minstrel street parades attract thousands of tourists form all over.

“Our cultural event is a mulit-million rand industry that the DA wants to control”

“The DA wants to dictate when we can celebrate ‘ou jaar aand’ and Tweede Nuwe Jaar.”

Soeker says: “Once the slave route has been gazetted by national government the Minstrel fraternity will be free from the DA-city control.”

Soeker says the term Tweede Nuwe Jaar dates back to the early 1800’s when the slaves were given the day off.

“It was on this day they joined and celebrated by marching through the streets and playing music.

“The slaves used to paint their faces black and mocked their owners and law-givers at the time.”