‘I am here every year!’ – Capetonians revel in Cape Town Street Parade
'We have been coming since we were children. It's in our blood, it's in our DNA,' said a local.
FILE PICTURE: South African members of the Cape Minstrel bands attend the annual ‘Tweede Nuwe Yaar’ (second new year) carnival through the streets of Cape Town, South Africa, 02 January 2016. The annual parade dates back to the days of slavery when slaves were granted a holiday on this day each year. The carnival includes about 60 troupes of brightly-dressed minstrels and marching bands competing over several days for a grand prize as the parade also known as the Kaapse Klopse makes its way through the tourist lined streets of the city centre. EPA/NIC BOTHMA
The streets of Cape Town were lined with families camping out on the sidewalk, excited to see the Cape Town Street Parade on Saturday.
Minstrel troupes donned their bright coloured uniforms and painted faces for the annual showcase. Thousands marched through the city streets. Forty-five troupes from four different carnival associations took part in the event.
Some of the troupes included the Juvie Boy Entertainers, the West London All Stars, and the D6 Hanover Minstrels.
Naima Williams from Milnerton told News24 that attending the “Tweede Nuwe Jaar” celebrations is a tradition.
“I am here every year! This is the first time we didn’t overnight, but normally we overnight then we are here for the next day,” Williams explained.
‘It’s in our blood’
Moeniba Eli from Hanover Park and her family booked their spot on Thursday morning already.
“We brought everything with… a gazebo, tables, mattresses… the whole house,” she said with a laugh.
Like many locals, the Eli family said they have never missed a parade.
“We have been coming since we were children. It’s in our blood, it’s in our DNA,” she said.
The musical troupes made their way from Hanover Street in District Six, past the iconic City Hall in the CBD, and into Bo-Kaap.
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