The Cape Malay choirs is fast becoming an endangered species with only “the people” making an effort to keep it alive.
As far as the City of Cape Town is concerned, well, it is blatantly evident they are huge contributors in assisting with the murder of this culture.
The selfish leasing out of the Good Hope Centre to a film company has now left one of Cape Town’s most loved cultures with no other alternative but to make do with the ‘Klein City Hallchie’ that is simply not equipped, nor is it dignified enough for an event of this stature.
A clear case of “jy moet dankbaar wies jy kry at least iets”.
At Sunday night’s Cape Malay Choir Board competition a Violets singkoor member collapsed on the City Hall stage when he presumably suffered heatstroke and had to be rushed to hospital.
Patrons are complaining because the City Hall does not seem to have any air-conditioning – is net te bedompag daar binne.
Supporters are also prohibited by the “kos-watchers” better known as the City Hall securities from even having a sip of water for a duration of 40 minutes when choirs are performing inside the Auditorium, while others are left with no choice but to watch their loved ones on a screen in the media room.
When an elderly tieti e said to a security woman on Sunday “ma ek moet eet vir my suike r”, she was told, “issie my rules nie, is die hall se rules”.
This is simply ‘ n klap innie gesig of our people who are now being treated like patatte!
Soos ‘n klompie sardientjies onne ‘n vergrootglas inne visblik!
Mr Maimane, if this is your idea of human rights then, no thanks, hou ma daai holiday!
The president of the Cape Malay Choir Board, Boeta Shafiek April, said: “We are tired of being thrown around from Pontius to Pilates. I ssie mooi wat hulle doen met onse mense nie, ons is mossie ‘n circus nie.”
He added: “ Eers het hulle die Good Hope Centre weggevat, nou issit weer problems mettie Bellville Velodrome, what next?”
For now the CMCB has settled on the Castle of Good Hope as the venue for their final Top 10 competition.
The president, however, did point out that the castle can only take 3 000 spectators.
The Top 10 / Top 8 competitions usually draw crowds of up to 10 000 people and regrettably many of these fans might have to be disappointed this year.
To add even more insult to the injury, the Cape Malay Choir Board has to fork out ‘n klompie geld to play host at the castle, R120 000 to be exact, and that’s just for a marquee.
It is quite a disturbing feeling when one can clearly see that the Malay Choir boards are being used to clean up a mess which was not created by them.
In case the “City that works for who?” is NOT aware of this, I would like to bring to their attention that the Good Hope Centre gave the people who had been forcefully removed from District 6 by the apartheid government and relocated to the Cape Flets, a chance to once a year return home while supporting this very culture.
Malay Choir boards now have to come up with alternative ways to make it possible for their people to enjoy their culture, when the solution is quite simple...Aunty Pat, kanallah, asseblief, gee net die GHC terug.
Once again it was a weekend of phenomenal Cape Malay choir singing.
The winner of section four of the CMCB was the new kids on the block, Rangers Singkoor, and the winner of Section 5 was none other than the masters of minor chords, The Ottomans.
And the winners of the “Keep the Dream Board” section on Saturday was the legendary Breakaways.
However, all the choirs over the weekend produced praiseworthy performances.
Keep pushing, keep shining, keep the dream.
The Moppie King extends condolences to the comic coach of Rangers Singkoor, Mr Tariq Blignaut, for the untimely loss of his brother Ashraf Blignaut.
May the Almighty grant him Jannah, in sha Allah, ameen.